li 


JOCK 


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Its  Aim 

NOT  Training  in  the  well-known  Arts,  Sciences  or  Businesses, 
but  Cultivation  of  the  Real  Personality  for  Successful  Living  in 
any  Art,  Science  or  Business, 

Ita  JII)Uos0tif)ij 

The  Highest  Human   Science  is  the  Science  of  Practical  Indi- 

vidual Culture. 

The  Highest  Human  Art  it  the  Art  of  Making  the  Most  of  the 

Self  and  its  Career. 

One  Science-  Art  stands  Supreme:  The  Science-  Art  of  Success- 

ful Being,  Successful  Living,  Successful  Doing. 

Ills  Etgltt  Suglmtaijs  of  Jloiurr 

The  Highway  of  Bodily  and  Mental  Health. 
The  Highway  of  Dauntless  Courage-Confidence. 
The  Highway  of  the  Controlled  Whirlwind. 
The  Highway  of  Symmetrically  Great  Will-Power. 
The  Highway  of  Variously  Growing  Mind-Power. 
The  Highway  of  Physical  and  Psychic  Magnetism. 
The  Highway  of  Expanding  Practical  Ability. 
The  Highway  of  the  Arthurian  White  Life. 

It*  imtbl?  (goal 

Supreme  Personal  Well-Being  and  Actual  Financial  Betterment 

110  #ktltoD 

Exactly  What  to  Do  and  How  to  Do  Exactly  That 


"Power  of  Will,"  (Travels  Seven  Highways). 
"Power  for  Success,"  (Travels  Eight  Highways).1 
"The  Personal  Atmosphere,"  (Suggests  all  Highways). 
"Business  Power,"  (Travels  Seven  Highways).1 
"The  Culture  of  Courage,"  (Travels  Four  Highways).1 
"Practical  Psychology,"  (Travels  Six  Highways).8 

If  mi  are  tnuttefe  to  rntrr  one  or  more  of  f  hr  Eight 
IHghtttaijfi  attb  to  altarr  in  thr  labor  ano  mmtroB  of 
ntanu.  nom  on  tlye  patlj  of  ^rrannal  betterment 

1  See  announcement  at  back  of  this  volume.       2  In  preparation. 


POWER  OF  WILL 


A  PRACTICAL  COMPANION-BOOK 
FOR  UNFOLDMENT  OF  SELFHOOD 
THROUGH  DIRECT  PERSONAL  CULTURE. 

BY  FRANK  CHANNING  HADDOCK,  PH.D. 

Founder  of  THE  POWER-BOOK  LIBRARY. 

Author  of  "  POWKR  FOR  SUCCESS,"  "THE  CULTURE  OF  COURAGB," 
"BUSINESS  POWER,"  &c.,  &c., 


fn  fffve  parts: 

EMBRACING 

THE  THEORY  AND  PRACTICE  OF  A  GROWING  WILL; 
DIRECT  CONTROL  OF  THE  PERSONAL  "  FACULTIES  ;" 
AND  SUCCESS  IN  THE  CONDUCT  OF  AFFAIRS. 


foundation: 
Vital  Education  is  the  Evolution  of  Consciousness. 


THIRTIETH  EDI»ION. 


1914 

THE  PELTON  PUBLISHING  Co., 
MERIDEN,  CONNECTICUT. 


L.  N.  FOWLER  &  Co.    • 

7  Imperial  Arcade,  and  4  &  5  Imperial  Buildings, 
Ludgate  Circus,  London,  England. 


Copyright,  1907,  by 

FRANK    C.    HADDOCK, 

AUBURKDALB,  MASS. 


Copyright,  1907, 
REGISTERED  AT  STATIOWBRS  HAI 

LONDON,  ENGLAND. 


:?RKSS  OP 
THK  HORTON  PRINTING  Co. 

,   CONN. 


TO 


UNWAVERING  FRIBND 

MASTER  OP  INITIATIVB 

INSPIRATION 


2C4SGU 


PREFACE. 


THIS  book  comes  to  you  as  a  Well- wisher,  a  Teacher, 
and  a  Prophet. 

It  will  become  a  Teacher  if  you  will  honestly  try  to 
secure  mental  reaction  upon  it ;  that  is,  if  you  will  resolve 
to  THINK  —  to  Think  with  it  and  to  Think  into  it. 

It  will  be  Prophet  of  a  higher  and  more  successful 
living  if  you  will  persistently  and  intelligently  follow  its 
requirements,  for  this  will  make  yourself  a  completer 
Manual  of  the  Perfected  Will. 

But  remember  !    This  book  cannot  think  for  you  ;  THAT 

IS  THE  TASK  OF  YOUR  MIND. 

This  book  cannot  give  you  greater  power  of  Will ;  THAT 

IS    FOR    YOURSELF   TO   ACQUIRE    BY   THE    RIGHT    USE  OF  ITS 
CONTENTS. 

This  book  cannot  hold  you  to  persistence  in  self-culture  ; 

THAT  IS  THE  TEST  OF  YOUR  WlLL. 

This  book  is  not  magical.  It  promises  nothing  occult 
or  mysterious.  It  is  simply  a  call  to  practical  and  scien- 
tific work. 

If  you  will  steadfastly  go  on  through  the  requirements 
marked  out,  this  book  will  develop  within  you  highest 
wishes  of  welfare  for  self,  it  will  make  you  a  teacher  of 
self,  it  will  inspire  you  as  a  prophet  of  self  brought  to 
largest  efficiency. 

ALL  NOW   RESTS   WITH   YOU ! ! 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


a  pOWER  OF  WILL"  has  been  a  pioneer  in  its 
I  chosen  field  —  the  only  book  of  its  kind,  the 
only  kind  of  its  class,  the  only  class  in  the  world.  A 
number  of  writers,  literary  and  otherwise,  have  since 
followed  the  pathway  thus  pointed  out,  some  of  them 
exhibiting  scant  regard  for  magnanimity,  that  virtue  which, 
seemingly  demanded  by  the  much-exploited  "  New 
Thought,"  is  without  spiritual  littleness  and  is  ever  fair 
in  acknowledgments.  The  author  bids  all  such,  Take 
and  confess  if  they  are  true  knights  of  the  larger  age,  but, 
an'  they  cannot  stand  so  high,  Take  for  their  own  that 
which  birth  forbids  creating,  since  our  world  life  is  so 
great,  and  in  its  abundance  every  mind  may  claim  to  live, 
even  that  of  the  humblest  parasite.  "  Many  a  frog  mas- 
querades in  the  costume  of  a  bird." 

In  the  present  edition  numerous  changes  from  the 
first  will  appear,  and  considerable  new  matter  has  been 
inserted.  The  substance  of  the  book,  however,  save  for 
some  minor  details,  remains  practically  untouched.  It 
has  seemed  best  not  to  recast  Part  I,  as  to  have  done  so 
would  have  meant  writing  a  new  book  ;  the  working  exer* 
cises  are  altogether  as  they  were  in  the  former  edition, 
except  that  quite  a  little  useless  verbiage  and  space  have 
been  obviated  by  condensation. 

The  kindness  with  which  the  book  has  been  received, 
its  literary  deficiencies  being  overlooked  in  view  of  its 
practical  purpose,  and  the  evidences  given  by  students 


vi  Preface  to  the  Second  Edition. 

that  the  work  has  helped  many  to  a  larger  growth  and  a 
better  self-handling,  have  inspired  the  present  revision. 
The  statement  of  one,  just  written  to  the  author,  represents 
the  actual  appreciation  of  a  host:  "' Power  of  Will"1  has 
been  a  wonderful  help  to  me  in  character-building,  but  I 
wish  to  make  an  exhaustive  study  of  it,  and  really  need  it 
on  my  desk  all  the  time." 

The  volumes  of  the  Power-Book  Library  have  sought 
always  to  be  clear,  plain,  practical,  sane  and  helpful,  and 
neither  chicanery  nor  suspicious  "  occultism  "  has  to  the 
author  been  conscious  in  mind  or  mood  or  work. 

And  so,  good  fortune  attend  both  the  book  and  the 
student 


STATEMENT  OF  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 


i. —  The  goal  of  evolution  is  psychic  person. 

Person  acts  behind  the  mask  of  body. 

The  basic  idea  of  person  is  self-determined  unfold- 
ment 

The  central  factor  in  such  unfoldment  is  Will. 

Will  is  a  way  person  has  of  being  and  doing. 

A  certain  complex  of  our  ways  of  being  and  doing 
constitutes  mind. 

Mind  operates  on  two  levels :  one  on  that  of  aware- 
ness, the  other  on  that  of  the  subconscious. 

In  the  subconscious  realm  of  person  the  evolutionary 
phases  of  heredity,  habit,  established  processes, 
exhibit. 

In  the  field  of  awareness  the  phase  of  variation,  both 
by  reason  of  external  stimulus  and  by  reason  of 
psychic  freedom,  appears. 

But  organized  person  is  inherently  restless.  The 
Will  exhibits  the  law  of  discontent.  Restless- 
ness of  organism  develops  Will. 

Person  unfolds  by  control  and  use  of  Will 

The  Will  must  take  itself  in  hand  for  greatest  per- 
sonal completeness. 

2.—  Personal  life  is  a  play  between  powers  without  and 

powers  within  the  central  function  of  Will. 
Personal   life  ends   in  subjection  to  such  external 
powers,  or  rises  to  mastery  over  them. 

Tii 


viii        Statement  of  General  Principles. 

3. —  The  Will  grows  by  directed  exercise. 

Exercise  involves  the  use  of  its  own  instruments  — 
body,  mind,  the  world. 

The  only  method  which  can  strengthen  and  ennoble 
Will  is  that  which  puts  into  action  itself  in  con- 
junction with  its  furniture. 

This  method,  persistently  followed,  is  certain  to  gire 
to  the  Will  mighty  power,  and  to  enlarge  and 
enrich  person. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  OUR  PRESENT  IDEAL. 


THE  goal  of  the  book  before  you  may  be  presented 
by  the  following  quotations  from  "  Brain  and  Person- 
ality," by  William  Hanna  Thomson,  M.D. : 

"A  stimulus  to  nervous  matter  effects  a  change  in 
the  matter  by  calling  forth  a  reaction  in  it.  This  change 
may  be  exceedingly  slight  after  the  first  stimulus,  but 
each  repetition  of  the  stimulus  increases  the  change,  with 
its  following  specific  reaction,  until  by  constant  repetition 
a  permanent  alteration  in  the  nervous  matter  stimulated  oc- 
curs, which  produces  a  fixed  habitual  way  of  working  in 
it.  In  other  words,  the  nervous  matter  acquires  a  special 
way  of  working,  that  is,  of  function,  by  habit. 

"  From  the  facts  which  we  have  been  reviewing,  we 
arrive  at  one  of  the  most  important  of  all  conclusions, 
namely,  that  the  gray  matter  of  our  brains  is  actually 
plastic  and  capable  of  being  fashioned.  It  need  not  be  left 
with  only  the  slender  equipment  of  functions  which 
Nature  gives  it  at  birth.  Instead,  it  can  be  fashioned 
artificially,  that  is,  by  education,  so  that  it  may  acquire 
very  many  new  functions  or  capacities  which  never  come 
by  birth  nor  by  inheritance,  but  which  can  be  stamped 
upon  it  as  so  many  physical  alterations  in  its  proplasmic 
substance. 

"This   well-demonstrated   truth   is   of    far-reaching 

significance,  because  it  gives  an  entirely  new  aspect  to 

the  momentous  subject  of  Education."     It  would  seem  to 

be  perfectly  evident  that  the  more  direct  the  efforts  of 

ix 


x  The  Science  of  Our  Present  Ideal. 

education  become,  that  is  to  say,  the  more  surely  attention 
is  concentrated  upon  the  alteration  for  improvement  of 
nervous  matter  and  the  development  of  mental  powers 
rather  than  to  the  mastering  of  objective  studies,  many  of 
which  must  prove  of  little  benefit  in  actual  life,  the  more 
nearly  will  education  approach  its  true  goal  —  power  in 
self  and  ability  for  successful  handling  of  self  with  all 
its  powers.  This  is  the  method  of  The  Power-Book  Lib- 
rary, the  ideal  of  which  is  —  not  mastery  of  books,  but 
sovereign  use  of  the  growing  self.  "  Most  persons  con- 
ceive of  education  vaguely  as  only  mental,  a  training  of 
the  .  mind  as  such,  with  small  thought  that  it  involves 
physical  changes  in  the  brain  itse/f  ere  it  can  become  real 
and  permanent.  But  as  perfect  examples  of  education  as 
can  be  named  are  ultimately  dependent  upon  the  sound 
condition  of  certain  portions  of  the  gray  matter  which 
have  been  '  educated  '  for  each  work."  "  The  brain  must 
be  modified  by  every  process  of  true  special  education. 

"  We  can  make  our  own  brains,  so  far  as  special  men- 
tal functions  or  aptitudes  are  concerned,  if  only  we  have 
Wills  strong  enough  to  take  the  trouble.  By  practice,  practice, 
practice,  the  Will  stimulus  will  not  only  organize  brain 
centers  to  perform  new  functions,  but  will  project  new 
connecting,  or,  as  they  are  technically  called,  association 
fibres,  which  will  make  nerve  centers  work  together  as  they 
could  not  without  being  thus  associated.  Each  such  self- 
created  brain  center  requires  great  labor  to  make  it,  because 
nothing  but  the  prolonged  exertion  of  the  personal  Will 
can  fashion  anything  of  the  kind."  And,  since  the  use 
of  any  human  power  tends  to  its  growth,  such  labor  as 
that  suggested  in  the  pages  of  this  book  cannot  fail  both 
to  develop  brain  centers  and  also  to  unfold  mind's  power 
in  Will. 

"  It  is  the  masterful  personal  Will  which  makes  the 


The  Science  of  Our  Present  Ideal.         xi 

brain  human.  By  a  human  brain  we  mean  one  which 
has  been  slowly  fashioned  into  an  instrument  by  which 
the  personality  can  recognize  and  know  all  things  physi- 
cal, from  the  composition  of  a  pebble  to  the  elements  of 
a  fixed  star.  It  is  the  Will  alone  which  can  make  material 
seats  for  mind,  and  when  made  they  are  the  most  personal 
things  in  the  body. 

"  In  thus  making  an  instrument  for  the  mind  to  use, 
the  Will  is  higher  than  the  Mind,  and  hence  its  rightful 
prerogative  is  to  govern  and  direct  the  mind,  just  as  it  is 
the  prerogative  of  the  mind  to  govern  and  direct  the  body. 

"  It  is  the  Will,  as  the  ranking  official  of  all  in  man, 
who  should  now  step  forward  to  take  the  command.  We 
cannot  over-estimate  the  priceless  value  of  such  direction, 
when  completely  effective,  for  the  life  of  the  individual  in 
this  world.  A  mind  always  broken  in  to  the  sway  of  the 
Will,  and  therefore  thinking  according  to  Will,  and  not 
according  to  reflex  action,  constitutes  a  purposive  life.  A 
man  who  habitually  thinks  according  to  purpose,  will  then 
speak  according  to  purpose  ;  and  who  will  care  to  measure 
strength  with  such  a  man  ? 

"  That  majestic  endowment  (the  Will)  constitutes  the 
high  privilege  granted  to  each  man  apparently  to  test  how 
much  the  man  will  make  of  himself.  It  is  clothed  with 
powers  which  will  enable  him  to  obtain  the  greatest  of  all 
possession  —  self-possession.  Self-possession  implies  the 
capacity  for  self-restraint,  self-compulsion  and  self-direc- 
tion ;  and  he  who  has  these,  if  he  live  long  enough,  can 
kav*  any  other  possessions  that  he  wants" 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTERS. 

PAGE 

PART  I. —  THE  WILL  AND  SUCCESS.  i 

CHAPTER            I.    The  Will  and  its  Action 3 

CHAPTER          II.    Tests  of  Will 15 

CHAPTER        III.    The  Coaduct  of  Life 29 

CHAPTER         IV.    Diseases  of  the  Will 43 

CHAPTER           V.    Training  of  the  Will 57 

CHAPTER         VI.    Training  of  the  Will,  continued. 

A  Study  of  Moods 69 

CHAPTER       VII.    Some  General  Rules 85 

PART  II. —  THE  WILL  AND  SENSE-CULTURE.  97 

CHAPTER  VIII.    Suggestions  for  Practice 99 

CHAPTER  IX.    Exercises  for  the  Eye in 

CHAPTER  X.    Exercises  for  the  Ear 123 

CHAPTER  XI.    Exercises  in  Taste 133 

CHAPTER  XII.    Exercises  in  Smell 141 

CHAPTER  XIII.    Exercises  in  Touch 149 

CHAPTER  XIV.  Exercises  for  the  Nerves    .  .   .  .157 

CHAPTER  XV.    Exercises  for  the  Hands 167 

CHAPTER  XVI.    Exercises  in  Steadiness 175 

CHAPTER  XVII.    General  Health 183 

PART  III. —  MENTAL  REGIME.  193 

CHAPTER  XVIII.    Exercises  in  Attention 195 

CHAPTER      XIX.    Attention  in  Reading 205 

CHAPTER        XX.    Attention  in  Thinking 213 

CHAPTER      XXI.    Exercises  in  Memory 225 

CHAPTER    XXII.    Exercises  in  Imagination    ....  237 
CHAPTER  XXIII.    Diseases   of  the  Imagination    .  .  253 
xii 


Contents.  xiii 

PAGB 

PART  IV.  —  DESTRUCTION  OF  HABIT.  259 

CHAPTER      XXIV.     Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits  .  261 
CHAPTER       XXV.    Correction  of  Other  Habits  .   .  283 

PART  V.—  CONTACT  WITH  OTHER  PEOPLE.  303 

CHAPTER      XXVI.    The  Will  in  Public  Speaking  .  .  305 
CHAPTER    XXVII.    Control  of  Others  .......  317 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.    The  Child's  Will    .......  329 


PREFATORY    MATTERS. 

ing  W 

ill  is 


"  O  Living  Will  "  ....................      2 

"  The  Will  is  the  Man  "    ................    14 

"  Balance  "      ......................    28 

"  Sense  Joys  "    .....................    42 

"Be  Master"     .....................    56 

"  Heed  Not  Thy  Moods  "   ................    68 

"  The  Great  Psychic  Factor  "     .............    84 

"  The  King  "  .  .....................  96 

Resolution    ......................    98 

"The  Riddle"    .....................  no 

"The  Soul  and  the  Ear"  ................  122 

"Taste"   ........................  132 

"The  Fragrance"     ...................  140 

"Self  and  Worlds"  ...................  148 

"Harmony"    ......................  156 

"The  Hand"  ......................  166 

"Bubbles"      ......................  174 

"Health"     .......................  182 

"Thy  Self"     ......................  192 

"What  Seest  Thou?"    .   .   .    ..............  194 

"  Who  Reads  ?  "    ....................  204 

"Thought"  ...    .............   .......  212 

"  Remembered  "    ....................  224 

"How  Came  Imagination?"    ..............  236 

"  Who  Hath  Wisdom  ?  "  ................  252 

Quotation  from  Field  .................  258 

"  We  Live  By  Sacrifice  Alone  "  .............  260 

"  'T  is  Wise  Surrender  Crowns  the  King  "  ........  282 

"  Speech  "    .......................  302 

"  Eloquence  "  ......................  304 

"  Knighted  "    ......................  316 

"The  Will  of  the  Child"  ................  328 


THE  MASTER  SPIRIT. 


(%  faster  Spirit  wtbtfy  none 
®f  brafamg  fora  to  probe  its  skill: 

It  fcat&  tfce  Stmt  of  %  Sun, 
ftt  cosimt  oto 


PART  I. —  THE  WILL  AND  SUCCESS. 


'  O  living  Will,  thou  shalt  endure 
When  all  that  seems  shall  suffer  shock." 

TlMlfYSOlC. 


POWER  OF  WILL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  WILL  AND  ITS  ACTION. 

JT  APPEARS  in  mere  naked  protoplasm  as 
a  self-determined  contractility.  In  zoospores, 
spermatozoids,  etc.,  it  attains  a  variety  of 
action.  In  animal  and  vegetal  persons  it  occurs  as  a 
common  function,  controlling  the  general  movements  of 
the  protoplasms  in  contact.  With  the  appearance  of  nerve 
cells  and  muscles,  its  range  both  of  excitation  and  of 
execution  is  vastly  enlarged.  ; —  Van  Norden. 

The  human  Will  involves  mysteries  which  have  never 
been  fathomed.  As  a  "  faculty  "  of  mind  it  is,  nevertheless, 
a  familiar  and  practical  reality.  There  are  those  who 
deny  man's  spiritual  nature,  but  no  one  calls  in  question 
the  existence  of  this  power.  While  differences  obtain 
among  writers  as  to  its  source,  its  constitution,  its  func- 
tions, its  limitations,  its  freedom,  all  concede  that  the 
Will  itself  is  an  actual  part  of  the  mind  of  man,  and  that 
its  place  and  uses  in  our  life  are  of  transcendent  impor- 
tance. 

Disagreements  as  to  interpretations  do  not  destroy 
facts. 

The  Will  is  sometimes  defined  as  the  "faculty  of 
conscious,  and  especially  of  deliberative  action."  Whether 


4.  The    Will  and  Its  Action. 

the  word  "conscious"  is  essential  to  the  definition  may 
be  questioned.  Some  actions  which  are  unconscious  are, 
nevertheless,  probably  expressions  of  the  Will ;  and  some 
involuntary  acts  are  certainly  conscious.  All  voluntary 
acts  are  deliberative,  for  deliberation  may  proceed  "  with 
the  swiftness  of  lightning,"  as  the  saying  goes,  but  both 
deliberation  and  its  attendant  actions  are  not  always 
conscious.  A  better  definition  of  the  Will,  therefore,  is 
"THE  POWER  OF  SELF-DIRECTION." 

This  power  acts  in  conjunction  with  feeling  and 
knowledge,  but  is  not  to  be  identified  with  them  as  a 
matter  of  definition.  Nor  ought  it  to  be  confounded  with 
desire,  nor  with  the  moral  sense.  One  may  feel  without 
willing,  and  one  may  will  contrary  to  feeling.  So  the 
Will  may  proceed  either  with  knowledge  or  in  opposition 
thereto,  or,  indeed,  in  a  manner  indifferent.  Oftentimes 
desires  are  experienced  which  are  unaccompanied  by  acts 
of  Will,  and  the  moral  sense  frequently  becomes  the  sole 
occasion  of  willing,  or  it  is  set  aside  by  the  Will,  what- 
ever the  ethical  dictates  in  the  case. 

PRESENT  DEFINITIONS. 

The  Will  is  a  way  a  person  has  of  being  and  doing, 
by  which  itself  and  the  body  in  which  it  dwells  are  directed. 

It  is  not  the  Will  that  wills,  any  more  than  it  is  the 
perceptive  powers  that  perceive,  or  the  faculty  of  imagi- 
nation that  pictures  mental  images. 

The  Will  is  « the  Soul  Itself  Exercising  Self-direction." 

"  By  the  term  Will  in  the  narrower  sense,"  says  Royce, 
"one  very  commonly  means  so  much  of  our  mental  life 
as  involves  the  attentive  guidance  of  our  conduct." 

When  person  employs  this  instrumental  power,  it 
puts  forth  a  Volition. 

A  Volition  is  the  willing  power  in  action. 


The    Will  is  the  Man.  5 

All  Volitions  are  thus  secondary  mental  commands  for 
appropriate  mental  or  physical  acts. 

Obedience  of  mind  or  body  to  Volitions  exhibits  the 
power  of  the  Will. 

No  one  wills  the  impossible  for  himself.  One  caa- 
not  will  to  raise  a  paralyzed  arm,  nor  to  fly  in  the  air 
without  machinery.  In  such  cases  there  may  be  desire 
to  act,  but  always  mind  refuses  to  will  —  that  is,  to  put 
forth  a  Volition,  which  is  a  secondary  command  —  when 
obedience,  of  the  mind  itself,  or  of  the  body,  is  known  to 
lie  beyond  the  range  of  the  possible. 

The  Will  may  be  regarded  as  both  Static  and 
Dynamic. 

In  the  one  case-  it  is  a  power  of  person  to  originate 
and  direct  human  activities ;  in  the  other  case,  it  is  action 
of  person  for  these  ends. 

Thus,  one  is  said  to  be  possessed  of  a  strong  Will 
(the  static)  when  he  is  capable  of  exerting  his  mind  with 
great  force  in  a  Volition  or  in  a  series  of  Volitions.  The 
quality  of  his  Will  is  manifest  in  the  force  and  persist- 
ence of  his  Volitions  or  his  acts.  The  manifested  Will 
then  becomes  dynamic ;  his  Volitions  are  the  actions  of 
the  mind  in  self-direction. 

Hence,  the  Will  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  energy,  and, 
according  to  its  degree  as  such,  is  it  weak,  or  fairly 
developed,  or  very  great. 

"  It  is  related  of  Muley  Moluc,  the  Moorish  leader, 
that,  when  lying  ill,  almost  worn  out  by  incurable  disease, 
a  battle  took  place  between  his  troops  and  the  Portuguese, 
when,  starting  from  his  litter  at  the  great  crisis  of  the 
fight,  he  rallied  his  army,  led  them  to  victory,  and  then 
instantly  sank  exhausted,  and  expired." 

Here  was  an  exhibition  of  stored-up  Will-power. 

So,  also,  Blondin,  the  rope-walker,  said :  "  One  day 


6  The    Will  and  Its  Action. 

I  signed  an  agreement  to  wheel  a  barrow  along  a  rope  on 
a  given  day.  A  day  or  two  before  I  was  seized  with 
lumbago.  I  called  in  my  medical  man,  and  told  him  I 
must  be  cured  by  a  certain  day;  not  only  because  I 
should  lose  what  I  hoped  to  earn,  but  also  forfeit  a  large 
sum.  I  got  no  better,  and  the  evening  before  the  day  of 
the  exploit,  he  argued  against  my  thinking  of  carrying 
out  my  agreement.  Next  morning  when  I  was  no  better, 
the  doctor  forbade  my  getting  up.  I  told  him,  '  What  do 
I  want  with  your  advice  ?  If  you  cannot  cure  me,  of 
what  good  is  your  advice  ? '  When  I  got  to  the  place, 
there  was  the  doctor,  protesting  I  was  unfit  for  the  exploit. 
I  went  on,  though  I  felt  like  a  frog  with  my  back.  I  got 
ready  my  pole  and  barrow,  took  hold  of  the  handles  and 
wheeled  it  along  the  rope  as  well  as  ever  I  did.  When  I 
got  to  the  end  I  wheeled  it  back  again,  and  when  this 
was  done  I  was  a  frog  again.  What  made  me  that  I  could 
wheel  the  barrow  ?  It  was  my  reserve-  Will" 

Power  of  Will  is,  first,  mental  capacity  for  a  single 
volitional  act :  A  powerful  Will,  as  the  saying  is,  means 
the  mind's  ability  to  throw  great  energy  into  a  given  com- 
mand for  action,  by  itself,  or  by  the  body,  or  by  other 
beings.  This  is  what  Emerson  calls  "  the  spasm  to  collect 
and  swing  the  whole  man." 

The  mind  may,  in  this  respect,  be  compared  to  an 
electric  battery ;  discharges  of  force  depend  upon  the 
size  and  make-up  of  the  instrument;  large  amounts  of 
force  may  be  accumulated  within  it ;  and  by  proper  ma- 
nipulation an  electric  current  of  great  strength  may  be 
obtained.  There  are  minds  that  seem  capable  of  huge 
exercise  of  Will-power  in  single  acts  and  under  peculiar 
circumstances  —  as  by  the  insane  when  enraged,  or  by 
ordinary  people  under  the  influence  of  excessive  fear,  or 
by  exceptional  individuals  normally  possessed  of  remark- 


The    Will  is  the  Man.  7 

able  mental  energy.  So,  power  of  Will  may,  as  it  were, 
be  regarded  as  capable  of  accumulation.  It  may  be 
looked  upon  as  an  energy  which  is  susceptible  of  in- 
crease in  quantity  and  of  development  in  quality. 

The  Will  is  not  only  a  dynamic  force  in  mind,  it  is 
also  secondly,  a  power  of  persistent  adherence  to  a  purpose, 
be  that  purpose  temporary  and  not  remote,  or  abiding  and 
far  afield  in  the  future  ;  whether  it  pertain  to  a  small  area 
of  action  or  to  a  wide  complexity  of  interests  involving  a 
life-long  career.  But  what  it  is  in  persistence  must  depend 
upon  what  it  is  in  any  single  average  act  of  Volition.  The 
Will  may  exhibit  enormous  energy  in  isolated  instances 
while  utterly  weak  with  reference  to  a  continuous  course 
of  conduct  or  any  great  purpose  in  life.  A  mind  that  is 
weak  in  its  average  Volitions  is  incapable  of  sustained 
willing  through  a  long  series  of  actions  or  with  reference 
to  a  remote  purpose.  The  cultivation,  therefore,  of  the 
Dynamic  Will  is  essential  to  the  possession  of  volitional 
power  for  a  successful  life. 

"  A  chain  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  link." 

Development  of  Will  has  no  other  highway  than 
absolute  adherence  to  wise  and  intelligent  resolutions. 

The  conduct  of  life  hinges  on  the  Will,  but  the  Will 
depends  upon  the  man.  Ultimately  it  is  never  other  than 
his  own  election. 

At  this  point  appears  the  paradox  of  the  Will :  — 

The  Will  is  the  soul's  power  of  self -direction ;  yet 
the  soul  must  decide  how  and  for  what  purposes  this 
power  shall  be  exercised. 

It  is  in  such  a  paradox  that  questions  of  moral  free- 
dom have  their  origin.  The  freedom  of  the  Will  is  a 
vexed  problem,  and  can  here  receive  only  superficial  dis- 
cussion. The  case  seems  to  be  clear  enough,  but  it  is  too 
metaphysical  for  these  pages. 


8  The    Will  and  Its  Action. 

PRESENT  THEORY  OF  WILL. 

"  The  Will,"  says  a  French  writer,  "  is  to  choose  in 
order  to  act."  This  is  not  strictly  true,  for  the  Will  does 
not  choose  at  all.  The  person  chooses.  But  in  a  general 
or  loose  way  the  Will  may  be  now  defined  as  a  power  to 
choose  what  the  man  shall  do.  The  choice  is  always 
followed  by  Volition,  and  Volition  by  appropriate  action. 
To  say  that  we  choose  to  act  in  a  certain  way,  while  ab- 
staining from  so  doing,  is  simply  to  say  either  that, 
at  the  instant  of  so  abstaining,  we  do  not  choose,  or  that 
we  cease  to  choose.  We  always  do  what  we  actually 
choose  to  do,  so  far  as  mental  and  physical  ability  permit. 
When  they  do  not  permit,  we  may  desire,  but  we  do  not 
choose  in  the  sense  of  willing.  In  this  sense  choice  in- 
volves some  reason,  and  such  reason  must  always  be 
sufficient  in  order  to  induce  person  to  will. 

A  Sufficient  Reason  is  a  motive  which  the  person 
approves  as  ground  of  action.  This  approval  precedes 
the  act  of  willing,  that  is,  the  Volition.  The  act  of  willing, 
therefore,  involves  choice  among  motives  as  its  necessary 
precedent,  and  decision  based  upon  such  selection.  When 
the  mind  approves  a  motive,  that  is,  constitutes  it  Suffi- 
cient Reason  for  its  action  in  willing,  it  has  thereby 
chosen  the  appropriate  act  obedient  to  willing.  The  mind 
frequently  recognizes  what,  at  first  thought,  might  be 
regarded  as  Sufficient  Reason  for  Volition,  yet  refrains 
from  putting  forth  that  Volition.  In  this  case  other 
motives  have  instantaneously,  perhaps  unconsciously, 
constituted  Sufficient  Reason  for  inaction,  or  for  action 
opposed  to  that  immediately  before  considered. 

We  thus  perceive  four  steps  connected  with  the  act 
of  willing : 

i.  Presentation  in  mind  of  something  that  may  be 
done; 


The    Will  is  the  Man.  9 

2.  Presentation  in  mind  of  motives  or  reasons  re- 
lating to  what  may  be  done  ; 

3.  The  rise  in  mind  of  Sufficient  Reason  ; 

4.  Putting  forth  in  mind  of  Volition  corresponding 
to  Sufficient  Reason. 

As  Professor  Josiah  Royce  remarks  in  "  Outlines  of 
Psychology,"  "  We  not  only  observe  and  feel  our  own 
doings  and  attitudes  as  a  mass  of  inner  facts,  viewed  all 
together,  but  in  particular  we  attend  to  them  with  greater 
or  less  care,  selecting  now  these,  now  those  tendencies  to 
action  as  the  central  objects  in  our  experience  of  our  own 
desires."  "To  attend  to  any  action  or  to  any  tendency 
to  action,  to  any  desire,  or  to  any  passion,  is  the  same 
thing  as  'to  select,'  or  'to  choose,'  or  'to  prefer,'  or  '  to 
take  serious  interest  in,'  just  that  tendency  or  deed.  And 
such  attentive  (and/rar^Va/)  preference  of  one  course  of 
conduct,  or  of  one  tendency  or  desire,  as  against  all 
others  present  to  our  minds  at  any  time,  is  called  a  volun- 
tary act."  This  is  in  effect  the  view  of  the  author  taken 
ten  years  before  the  writing  of  the  first  edition  of  the 
present  work. 

A  motive  is  an  appeal  to  person  for  a  Volition. 
"  A  motive  cannot  be  identified  with  the  Volition  to  act, 
for  it  is  the  reason  of  the  Volition.  The  identification  of 
motives  and  Volitions  would  involve  us  in  the  absurdity 
of  holding  that  we  have  as  many  Volitions  as  motives, 
which  would  result  in  plain  contradiction."  And,  it  may 
also  be  remarked,  "  a  motive  is  not  an  irresistible  ten- 
dency, an  irresistible  tendency  is  not  a  desire,  and  a 
desire  is  not  a  Volition.  In  short,  it  is  impossible  to 
identify  a  Volition  or  act  of  Will  with  anything  else.  It 
is  an  act,  sui  generis." 

But  while  motives  must  be  constituted  Sufficient  Rea- 
sons for  willing,  the  reason  is  not  a  cause ;  it  is  merely  an 


IO  The    Will  and  Its  Action. 

occasion.  The  cause  of  the  act  of  Will  is  the  person,  free 
to  select  a  reason  for  Volition.  The  occasion  of  the 
action  of  Volition  in  mind  is  solely  the  motive  approved. 
Motives  are  conditions  ;  they  are  not  causes.  The  testi- 
mony that  they  are  not  determining  conditions  stands  on 
the  validity  of  the  moral  consciousness.  The  word 
"  ought "  always  preaches  freedom,  defying  gospelers 
and  metaphysicians  of  every  pagan  field. 

FREEDOM. 

Moreover,  the  phrase  "freedom  of  will "  is  tautology, 
and  the  phrase  "  bondage  of  will"  is  contradiction  of 
terms.  To  speak  of  the  freedom  of  the  Will  is  simply  to 
speak  of  the  Will's  existence.  A  person  without  power  to 
decide  what  he  shall  do  is  not  a  complete  organism. 

Will  may  not  exist,  but  if  there  is  any  Will  in  mind, 
it  is  free. 

Will  may  be  weak,  but  within  the  limitations  of 
weakness,  freedom  nevertheless  obtains. 

No  bondage  exists  in  the  power  of  person  to  will 
somewhat.  Bondage  may  obtain  in  the  man,  by  reason  of 
physical  disorders,  or  of  mental  incapacity,  or  of  moral 
perversion,  or,  perhaps,  of  environment.  For  the  Will 
"  does  not  sensate :  that  is  done  by  the  senses  ;  it  does 
not  cognize :  that  is  done  by  the  intellect ;  it  does  not 
crave  or  loathe  an  object  of  choice :  that  is  done  by  the 
affections ;  it  does  not  judge  of  the  nature,  or  value,  or 
qualities  of  an  object :  that  is  done  by  the  intellect ;  it 
does  not  moralize  on  the  right  or  wrong  of  an  object,  or 
of  an  act  of  choice :  that  is  done  by  the  conscience 
(loosely  speaking);  it  does  not  select  the  object  to  be 
chosen  or  to  be  refused,  and  set  it  out  distinct  and  defined, 
known  and  discriminated  from  all  others,  and  thus  made 
ready,  after  passing  under  the  review  of  all  the  other 


The    Will  is  the  Man.  II 

faculties,  to  be  chosen  or  refused  by  the  Will :  for  this 
act  of  selecting  has  already  been  done  by  the  intellect." 

The  operations  of  the  sense  perceptions,  of  the  intel- 
lect and  of  the  moral  powers  may  thus  be  inadequate, 
and  there  may  be  great  difficulty  in  deliberating  among 
motives,  and  even  inability  to  decide  which  motive  shall 
rule,  but  these  weaknesses  obtain  in  the  mind  or  the  man, 
they  do  not  inhere  in  the  Will.  This  does  not  surrender 
the  freedom  of  the  Will  by  shifting  it  from  a  faculty  the 
definition  of  which  makes  it  free  to  the  person  which  may 
or  may  not  be  free,  because  any  bondage  of  person  has 
before  it  actual  freedom  as  the  result  of  development, 
education  and  moral  influences.  The  action  of  Will  is 
not  determined  by  motive  but  by  condition  of  person,  and, 
to  a  degree,  except  under  the  oppression  of  disease, 
the  person  may  always  raise  any  motive  to  the  dignity  of 
Sufficient  Reason. 

Most  people  experience  some  bondage  to  evil,  but  the 
bondage  of  evil  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  evil  self  tends  to 
select  a  motive  whose  moral  quality  is  of  a  like  character. 
Accountability  springs  from  this  —  that  evil  has  been 
permitted  to  establish  that  tendency.  "  A  force  endowed 
with  intelligence,  capable  of  forming  purposes  and  pur- 
suing self-chosen  ends  may  neglect  those  rules  of  action 
which  alone  can  guide  it  safely,  and  thus  at  last  wholly 
miss  the  natural  ends  of  its  being." 

As  Samuel  Johnson  says  :  "  By  trusting  to  impres- 
sions a  man  may  gradually  come  to  yield  to  them  and  at 
length  be  subject  to  them  so  as  not  to  be  a  free  agent,  or, 
what  is  the  same  thing  in  effect,  to  suppose  that  he  is  not 
a  free  agent." 

"  As  to  the  doctrine  of  necessity,  no  man  believes  it.  If 
a  man  should  give  me  arguments  that  I  did  not  see,  though  I 
could  not  answer  them,  should  I  believe  that  I  did  not  see  ?" 


it  Tht    Witt  and  Its  Action. 

Hence  the  sway  and  the  Talue  of  moral  character  in 
the  arena  of  Will. 

A  person  of  right  character  tends  to  constitute  right 
motives  Sufficient  Reason  for  Volitions. 

The  Will,  therefore,  is  under  Jaw,  for  it  is  a  part  of 
the  universal  system  of  things.  It  must  obey  the  general 
laws  of  man's  being,  must  be  true  to  the  laws  of  its  own 
nature.  A  lawless  Will  can  have  no  assignable  object  of 
existence.  As  a  function  in  mind  it  is  subject  to  the  in- 
fluences of  the  individual  character,  of  environment  and 
of  ethical  realities.  But  in  itself  it  discloses  that  all 
Volitions  are  connected  with  motives  or  reasons,  that 
every  Volition  has  its  Sufficient  Reason,  and  that  no 
Volition  is  determined  solely  by  any  given  reason.  To 
suppose  the  Will  to  act  otherwise  than  as  required  by 
these  laws  is  to  destroy  its  meaning.  A  lawless  Volition 
is  not  a  free  Volition,  it  is  no  Volition.  Lawless  Volition 
is  caprice.  Capricious  Volitions  indicate  a  mind  subject 
to  indeterminate  influences.  When  an  individual  is  in 
such  a  state,  we  say  that  he  is  a  slave,  because  he  is  with- 
out power  to  act  intelligently  for  a  definite  purpose  and 
according  to  a  self -chosen  end. 

Will  is  not  free  if  k  is  not  self-caused,  but  to  be  self- 
caused,  in  any  true  sense,  it  must  act  according  to  the 
laws  of  its  own  being.  Law  is  the  essence  of  freedom. 
Whatever  is  free  is  so  because  it  is  capable  of  acting  out 
unhindered  the  laws  of  its  nature. 

The  Will  cannot  transcend  itself.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  it  should  transcend  its  own  nature  in  order  to  be 
free.  A  bird  is  free  to  fly,  but  not  to  pass  its  life  under 
water.  A  bird  with  a  broken  wing  cannot  fly ;  neverthe- 
less flight  is  of  the  freedom  of  bird-nature.  And  limita- 
tions upon  bird-nature  are  not  limitations  upon  such 
freedom.  Induced  limited  states  of  individual  minds 


The   Witt  is  the  Man.  13 

cannot  set  aside  the  free  ability  of  Will  to  act  according 
to  its  fundamental  nature. 

The  following,  written  of  Howard  the  philanthropist, 
is  a  good  illustration  of  the  Will  (a)  as  static,  (&)  as  dyna- 
mic, (c)  as  an  energy,  (//)  as  controlled  by  the  mind,  (<•)  as 
free,  and  (/)  as  determined  by  character  —  what  the  in- 
dividual makes  himself  to  be  : 

"  The  (<:)  energy  of  his  («)  determination  was  so  great, 
that  if,  instead  of  being  habitual,  it  had  been  (£)  shown  only 
for  a  short  time  on  particular  occasions,  it  would  have 
appeared  a  vehement  impetuosity  ;  but,  by  being  uninter- 
mitted,  it  had  an  equability  of  manner  which  scarcely 
appeared  to  exceed  the  tone  of  a  calm  constancy,  it  was 
so  totally  the  reverse  of  anything  like  turbulence  or  agita- 
tion. It  was  the  calmness  of  an  intensity,  (</)  kept  uni- 
form by  the  nature  of  the  human  mind  forbidding  it  to  be 
more,  and  by  the  (/)  character  of  the  individual  (e)  for- 
bidding it  to  be  less." 

Howard  was  an  illustration  of  Emerson's  meaning 
when  he  said  :  "There  can  be  no  driving  force,  except 
through  the  conversion  of  the  man  into  his  Will,  making 
him  the  Will,  and  the  Will  him."  Human  nature  is  a 
huge  commentary  on  this  remark.  Man's  driving  force, 
conquering  fate,  is  the  energy  of  the  free  Will. 

We  have  now  finished  our  brief  survey  of  the  theory 
of  Will-power. 

What  this  book  shall  accomplish  for  the  reader  depends 
solely  upon  himself. 


"  THE  WILL  IS  THE  MAN." 


The  Will  is  God,  the  Will  is  man, 

The  Will  is  power  loosed  in  Thought; 
In  Will  W   Unfathomed  Self  began, 
In  Will  the  lesser  mind  is  wrought : 
Nothing  is  will-less  entity  : 
All  one — to  act,  to  will,  to  be. 

He  only  is  who  wills  to  live 

The  best  his  nature  prophesies: 
Master  of  fate,  executive 

Of  self — a  sovereign  strong  and  wise. 
Art  thou  a  pigmy  f    Courage,  soul ! 
For  thee,  as  all,  the  kingly  goal. 

—  THB  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  II. 

TESTS  OF  WILL. 

JHE  seat  of  the  Will  seems  to  vary  with  the 
organ  through  which  it  is  manifested;  to 
transport  itself  to  different  parts  of  the  braim 
:*s  we  may  wish  to  recall  a  picture,  a  phrase,  or  a  melody ; 
to  throw  its  force  on  the  muscles  or  the  intellectual  pro- 
cesses. Like  the  general-in-chief,  its  place  is  everywhere 
in  the  field  of  action.  It  is  the  least  like  an  instrument 
of  any  of  our  faculties  ;  the  farthest  removed  from  our 
conceptions  of  mechanism  and  matter,  as  we  commonly 
define  them."—  O.  W.  Holmes. 

The  developed  Will  manifests  itself,  as  has  been  sug- 
gested, in  two  general  ways : 

First.  In  an  energetic  single  act ;  here  it  may  be 
called  the  Dynamic  Will.  The  Will  so  acting  is  not 
necessarily  ideal.  "Rosseau,"  says  Carlyle  "has  not 
depth  or  width,  nor  calm  force  for  difficulty ;  —  the  first 
characteristic  of  true  greatness.  A  fundamental  error,  to 
call  vehemence  and  rigidity  strength  1  A  man  is  not 
strong  who  takes  convulsion-fits,  though  six  men  cannot 
hold  him  then.  He  that  can  walk  under  the  heaviest 
weight  without  staggering,  he  is  the  strong  man." 

Secondly.  In  a  series  of  acts  conducted  with  force 
and  related  intelligently  to  a  given  end ;  here  the  Static 
Will  discharges  in  dynamic  actions  its  store  of  accumu- 
lated power. 


16  Tests  of  Will. 

Acts  of  Will  may  be  described  as  Explosive,  Decisive, 
Impelling,  Restraining,  Deliberative,  Persistent. 

These  forms  of  Will  are  exhibited  in  connection  with 
Physical,  Mental,  Moral  states  of  the  man. 

Remembering  that  the  Will  is  always  the  mind's 
power  of  self-direction,  we  now  suggest  certain 

GENERAL  FUNCTIONS  OF  WILL. 
I.  —  The  strong  Will  is  master  of  the  body. 
II.  —  The  right  Will  is  lord  of  the  mind's  several 
faculties. 

III.  —  The  perfect  Will  is  high  priest  of  the  moral  self. 

I. 

The  strong  Will  is  master  of  the  body,  directing  it 
according  to  the  dictates  of  desire  or  reason.  Hamlet's 
grave-digger  determines  his  own  physical  vocation.  The 
hero  Dewey  and  his  sailors  send  their  bodies  into  Manilla 
Bay  and  forbid  flight,  while  shot  and  shell  are  falling. 
Martyrs  give  their  bodies  to  be  burned.  Paganini  directs 
his  fingers  to  execute  marvels  upon  the  violin.  The 
trained  athlete  is  the  director  of  an  assembly  of  physical 
powers  as  difficult  of  original  control  as  the  mob  that 
threatened  Beecher  at  Liverpool.  Ignatius  uncovered 
brute  Will  when  he  said  :  "  It  is  the  part  of  a  good  athlete 
to  be  flayed  with  pounding,  and  yet  to  conquer."  The 
psychic  investigator  of  the  modern  college  makes  every 
physical  element  and  power  a  tool,  a  prophet,  a  revelator 
of  mental  reality. 

Mastery  of  the  body  is  frequently  seen  in  remarkable 
instances  of  physical  control.  All  voluntarily  acquired 
habits  are  examples.  Though  a  given  habit  becomes 
automatic,  it  yet  represents  a  long  and  persistent  appli- 


According  to  Tour   Will.  17 

cation  of  Will,  and,  as  often,  perhaps,  the  present  exer- 
cise of  Volition  directing  and  maintaining  actions  that  are 
apparently  unconscious.  The  singer's  use  of  his  voice 
exhibits  trained  impulse ;  the  musician's  manipulation  of 
his  fingers,  habituated  movements;  the  skilled  rider's 
mastery  of  his  limbs  in  most  difficult  feats  and  unex- 
pected situations,  spontaneous  response  to  mind ;  the 
eloquent  orator,  celerity  of  muscular  obedience  to  feeling. 
In  all  these  and  similar  cases  the  Will  must  act,  co-ordi- 
nating particular  movements  with  general  details  of 
Volition  with  the  ultimate  purpose  in  view.  Indeed,  the 
specific  activities  that  make  up  the  complex  physical  uses 
of  the  human  body  in  all  trades  of  skill  demand  super- 
vision of  the  Will  as  an  adequate  explanation.  The  person 
may  not  be  conscious  of  its  sovereign  acts,  but  it  is  the 
power  upon  the  throne. 

Underlying  those  states  of  the  soul  of  which  it  is 
immediately  aware  are  conditions  not  formulated  in  con- 
sciousness, which  nevertheless  constitute  its  highest 
powers.  If  these  exhibitions  of  "  second  nature "  in- 
volved no  immediate  action  of  Will,  the  very  exercise  and 
training  of  Will  which  look  to  their  attainment  would,  so 
far  forth,  defeat  the  end  in  view ;  —  they  would  weaken 
rather  than  develop  Will. 

The  Unconscious  or  Subconscious  Mind  plays  a  vast 
role  in  human  life.  The  reader  is  referred  to  the  author's 
work  "  Practical  Psychology  "  for  further  study  of  that 
important  subject. 

The  mind,  again,  has  the  power  to  summons,  as  it 
were,  a  special  degree  of  intensity  of  Will,  and  to  throw 
this  with  great  force  into  a  particular  act.  This  may  be 
done  during  a  repetition  of  the  act,  while  the  repetition  is 
going  on  "  automatically,"  as  it  is  said.  Does  such  in- 
tensity imply  that  no  Will  has  hitherto  been  exerted? 


i8  Tests  of  Will. 

We  know  that  in  such  cases  we  put  forth  a  more  energetic 
Volition. 

The  human  eye  may  be  made  to  blaze  by  the  appli- 
cation of  Will-power  to  the  act  of  gazing. 

The  hearing  may  be  made  more  acute  by  willing  that 
all  other  sensations  shall  be  ruled  out  of  consciousness. 

By  focusing  the  attention  upon  the  terminal  nerves 
the  sense  of  touch  is  vastly  quickened,  as,  for  example,  in 
the  case  of  the  blind. 

Muscular  effort  accomplishing  a  certain  amount  of 
work  while  Will  is  but  lightly  applied,  becomes  terrific 
when  the  whole  man  wills  himself  into  the  act. 

Certain  stimulations  of  mind,  as  fear,  or  love,  or  hate, 
or  hope  of  reward,  or  religious  excitement,  or  musical  in- 
fluence, or  insanity,  rouse  the  Will  at  times  to  vast  pro- 
portions in  its  feats  with  muscle  and  limb. 

The  Olympic  contests  and  modern  exhibition  games, 
rescues  from  fire  or  wave,  woman's  defense  of  her  off- 
spring, prolonged  exertion  of  political  speakers  and  evange- 
lists, and  herculean  achievements  of  enraged  inmates  of 
insane  hospitals,  furnish  examples. 

So,  also,  the  Will  accomplishes  wonders  through  its 
power  of  inhibition.  Under  fear  of  detection  the  hiding 
criminal  simulates  the  stillness  of  death.  Pride  often 
represses  the  cry  of  pain.  In  the  presence  of  the  desper- 
ately ill,  love  refuses  the  relief  of  tears.  Irritated  nerves 
are  controlled  under  maddening  conditions.  Certain 
nervous  diseases  can  be  cured  by  the  Will.  Habits  of 
the  body,  such  as  facial  twitching,  movements  of  the 
hands  or  limbs,  etc.,  are  controlled,  and  mannerisms  of 
private  and  public  life  are  banished.  Sounds  are  shut 
out  of  consciousness  in  the  act  of  reading.  Strong  appe- 
tites are  denied  indulgence.  Pronounced  tendencies  in 


According  to   Your    Will.  19 

general  physical  conduct  are  varied.     Attitudes  of  body 
are  assumed  and  maintained  at  the  cost  of  great  pain. 

Even  more  than  is  ordinarily  supposed,  the  body  is 
the  servant  of  the  Will.  The  curious  thing  here  is  that 
so  little  attention  is  given  to  the  training  of  Will  in  this 
capacity. 

II. 

The  right  Will  is  the  lord  of  the  .mind' s  several  facul 
ties.  A  familiar  example  is  seen  in  the  act  of  attention. 
Here  the  soul  concentrates  its  energies  upon  a  single 
object,  or  upon  a  number  of  objects  grouped  together. 
A  striking  example  may  be  noted  in  the  fact  that  "  we 
can  smell  either  one  of  two  odors,  brought  to  the  nostrils 
by  means  of  paper  tubes,  in  preference  to  the  other,  by 
simply  thinking  about  it."  This  is  a  good  illustration  of 
abstraction  induced  by  the  Will.  The  degree  of  exclu- 
siveness  and  force  with  which  the  mind  engages  itself 
upon  a  single  line  of  action  represents  the  cultivation  of 
the  persistent  Will.  If  the  WTill  is  strong  in  this  respect, 
it  is  probably  strong  in  what  is  called  "  compound  attention" 
or  that  considering  state  of  mind  in  which  it  holds  delib- 
erative court  among  motives,  facts,  principles,  means  and 
methods  relating  to  some  possible  end  of  effort  or  goal  of 
conduct. 

Thus  the  person  wills  intense  consciousness  of  physi- 
cal acts  or  states.  One,  for  example,  who  studies  pro- 
foundly the  relation  of  physiology  to  psychology,  exhibits 
great  powers  in  willed  attention,  embracing  largest  sensa- 
tions, and  taking  note  of  minutest  variations  with  the 
greatest  nicety.  The  child  in  learning  to  walk  manifests 
admirable  ability  in  this  regard.  Vocal  exercises  demand 
utmost  attention  of  mind  to  musical  notes,  their  effects 
upon  the  ear,  and  the  manner  and  method  of  their 
attainment  and  execution.  Musical  instruments  are  also 


20  Tests  of  Will. 

mastered  in  this  way  alone.  All  use  of  tools  and  instru- 
ments makes  large  demand  upon  the  Will,  and  in  propor- 
tion to  their  delicacy,  complexity,  and  the  difficulty  of 
handling  properly,  is  this  demand  increased.  "Great 
skill,  great  Will,"  may  be  written  as  the  general  law  in 
this  regard. 

So,  also,  as  previously  suggested,  the  power  of  the 
eye,  ear  and  end  nerves  is  frequently  increased  by  appli- 
cation of  mental  energy  thrown  forcibly  into  the  sense- 
perception  involved. 

The  action  and  capacity  of  the  lungs  may  be  devel- 
oped by  intelligent  attention,  a  style  of  walk  may  be 
cultivated,  and  habits  of  speech  entirely  reorganized. 
Where  pronounced  ability  in  such  cases  has  been  ac- 
quired, the  cost  of  willed  attention  has  been  enormous. 

A  test  of  Will  may  be  further  seen  in  the  degree  of 
attention  exerted  in  reading.  Much  is  dignified  as  read- 
ing that  is  not  so.  In  true  reading  the  mind  is  focused 
upon  the  printed  page.  Kossuth  said,  u  I  have  a  certain 
rule  never  to  go  on  in  reading  anything  without  perfectly 
understanding  what  I  read."  That  was  true  reading. 

Equally  concentrated  must  be  the  mind  of  the  artist 
in  painting,  and  that  of  the  musician  in  mastering  a  diffi- 
cult composition.  An  artist  who  painted  three  hundred 
portraits  during  a  year,  said  :  "  When  a  sitter  came,  I 
looked  at  him  attentively  for  half  an  hour,  sketching  from 
time  to  time  on  the  canvas.  I  wanted  no  more.  I  put 
away  my  canvas  and  was  ready  for  another  sitter.  When 
I  wished  to  resume  my  first  portrait,  I  took  the  man  and 
sat  him  in  the  chair,  when  I  saw  him  as  distinctly  as  if  he 
had  been  before  me  in  his  own  proper  person."  A  similar 
story  is  related  of  the  sculptor  David.  Wishing  to  exe- 
cute the  bust  of  a  dying  woman  without  alarming  her,  he 
called  upon  her  as  a  jeweler's  man,  and  in  a  few  moments 


According  to   Your    Will.  21 

secured  a  mental  portrait  of  her  features,  which  he  after- 
ward reproduced  in  stone.  So  blind  Tom  listened  with 
"  rapt  attention  "  to  a  complicated  musical  composition, 
and  instantly  repeated  it,  exactly  as  played  before  him, 
including  errors.  In  part,  concentrated  attention  is  the 
secret  of  genius. 

In  sustained  thinking  the  Will  manifests  one  of  its 
noblest  aspects.  The  mind  must  now  plunge  into  the 
depths  of  a  subject,  penetrate  by  driving  force  into  its 
minutest  details,  and  follow  out  the  ramifications  of  its 
utmost  complexities,  concentrating  upon  fact,  reality, 
relation,  etc.,  with  great  power,  and  comparing,  con- 
joining, separating,  evolving,  with  tireless  persistency. 
Napoleon  was  gigantic  in  all  these  particulars.  Senator 
Carpenter,  of  Wisconsin,  used  to  seclude  himself  in  his 
law  library  the  night  before  some  important  case  was 
docketed  for  trial,  and  feel,  think  and  care  for  nothing 
else  until  morning,  utterly  absorbed  in  the  mastery  of  its 
problems.  So  Byron  was  wont  to  immure  himself  with 
brandy  and  water  and  write  for  many  consecutive  hours 
in  the  elaboration  of  his  poems.  "  The  success  of  Hegel 
is  in  part  explained  by  the  fact  that  he  took  a  manuscript 
to  his  publishers  in  Jena  on  the  very  day  when  the  battle 
of  that  name  was  fought,  and  to  his  amazement  —  for  he 
had  heard  or  seen  nothing  —  he  found  French  veterans, 
the  victorious  soldiers  of  Napoleon,  in  the  streets. 
Mohammed  falling  into  lone  trances  on  the  mountains 
above  Mecca,  Paul  in  Arabia,  Dante  in  the  woods  of 
Fonte  Abellana,  and  Bunyan  in  prison,  form  eloquent 
illustrations  of  the  necessity  of  mentaj  seclusion  and 
concentration  in  order  to  arrive  at  great  nental  results." 

It  is  familiarly  known  that  one  of  the  secrets  of  con- 
centration is  interest  in  the  matter  in  hand.  But  the 
mind's  interest  may  be  enhanced  by  persistent  assertion  of 


22  Tests  of  Witt. 

its  power  of  Will.  Study,  resolutely  continued,  bores 
into  the  subject  considered,  and,  discovering  new  features, 
finally  induces  absorbed  attention  of  an  increased  degree. 
School-work  furnishes  many  illustrations  of  this  reward 
of  Will.  The  mind  may  be  wrought  up,  by  long  atten- 
tion to  matters  of  thought,  to  a  state  of  great  activity. 
As  with  mechanical  contrivances,  so  with  Will ;  initial 
movements  of  mind,  weak  at  first,  acquire  by  continuance 
an  enhanced  power.  "  We  can  work  ourselves  up,"  as 
one  has  said,  "  into  a  loving  mood,  by  forcing  the  atten- 
tion and  the  train  of  ideas  upon  all  the  kindness  and 
affection  that  we  have  experienced  in  the  past."  Simi- 
larly in  regard  to  other  emotions  and  states  of  the  soul. 
The  activity  of  reasoning  is  no  exception.  It  is  a  mis- 
take to  suppose  that  great  intellectual  achievements  are 
products  alone  of  what  is  called  "  inspiration."  The 
processes  of  reasoning,  composing,  speaking,  all  exhibit 
the  power  of  Will  to  develop  interest  and  beget  a  true 
inspiration  as  well  as  to  hold  the  mind  in  the  grip  of  a 
subject.  Lord  Macaulay  thus  sought  facility  in  the  prepa- 
ration and  writing  of  his  History.  Anthony  Trollope 
made  it  a  rule,  while  writing  a  work  of  fiction,  to  turn  off 
a  fixed  number  of  pages  each  day,  and  found  his  rule  not 
a  hindrance,  but  a  help.  In  jury  trials  advocates  talk  on 
for  hours  against  some  supposedly  obstinate  juryman, 
and  legislative  halls  frequently  witness  "  speaking  against 
time."  In  both  cases  the  orator's  mind  develops  special 
and  unexpected  interest  and  power. 

The  strength  of  the  Will  is,  again,  notably  shown 
in  the  action  of  memory.  Mental  energy  usually  "  charges  " 
the  soul  by  the  process  of  "  memorizing."  But  some  facts 
are  blazed  into  the  abiding  self,  as  it  were,  by  the  power 
of  great  interest.  The  storing  act  of  mind  in  education, 
as  it  is  commonly  understood,  requires  Will  in  a  very 


According  to   Your    Will.  23 

especial  sense.  Listless  repetition  of  lessons  accomplishes 
little.  Attention,  concentration,  the  forcing  of  interest, 
must  take  this  kingdom  by  a  kind  of  violence.  A  phrase 
like,  "  Remember !  yes,  remember  1 "  suggests  the  victorious 
attitude  of  mind.  Macaulay,  fearing  that  his  memory 
might  fail,  deliberately  set  himself  to  the  task  of  its  test 
and  further  development.  William  H.  Prescott,  who 
wrote  his  histories  with  greatly  impaired  eyesight,  trained 
his  memory  so  thoroughly  that  he  could  perform  men- 
tally the  work  required  for  sixty  pages  before  dictation. 
Francis  Parkman  and  Charles  Darwin  acquired  prodig- 
ious memories  under  similar  difficulties.  Some  minds  are 
naturally  endowed  with  great  powers  in  this  respect,  but 
the  really  useful  memories  of  the  world  exhibit  the  driv- 
ing and  sustaining  action  of  Will. 

Memory  is  always  involved  in  imagination.  The  mind 
which  is  a  blank  as  to  its  past  can  form  no  memory 
pictures.  In  its  noblest  character,  the  imagination  ex- 
hibits compulsion,  purpose,  control.  Milton  must  sum- 
mon in  luminous  array  the  majestic  images  of  Paradise 
Lost.  Does  Angelo  see  his  immortal  shapes  without  the 
direction  of  Will  ?  Do  the  phantoms  of  the  ideal  world 
come  unbidden  to  the  arena  of  thought  ?  Undoubtedly 
fantasies  and  hallucinations  may  troop  across  the  plains 
of  mental  vision  in  capricious  freedom,  as  when  Luther 
saw  the  devil,  or  Goethe  beheld  in  his  sister's  home  a 
picture  by  Ostade ;  and  these  may  frequently  tyrannize 
over  the  mind  with  terrible  power,  as  when  Kipling's 
civilian  of  India  became  "  possessed  "  by  the  "  Phantom 
'Rickshaw."  But  the  hallucinations  of  disease  often 
yield  to  treatment  of  physical  improvement  and  resolute 
Will.  It  is  significant  that  Goethe,  relating  the  experience 
above  referred  to,  says :  "  This  was  the  first  time  that  I 
discovered,  in  so  high  a  degree,  the  gift,  which  I  qfter> 


'24  Tests  of  Will. 

wards  used  with  more  complete  consciousness,  of  bring- 
ing before  me  the  characteristics  of  this  or  that  great 
artist,  to  whose  works  I  had  devoted  great  attention." 
That  the  power  of  creating  such  luminous  mental  vision 
can  be  acquired  by  strenuous  Will  may  be  doubted ;  but 
there  are  minds  that  have  frequent  flashes  of  clear  picto- 
rial innersight,  in  which  objects  seem  to  appear  with 
all  the  vividness  of  sunlit  reality,  although  they  can  never 
command  this  experience  at  will.  If  possessed,  the  gift, 
as  Goethe  calls  it,  is,  however,  subject  to  summons  and 
control,  as  seen  in  his  case  and  in  that  of  many  artists. 
A  secondary  quality  of  mental  vision,  in  which  ideas  of 
things,  more  or  less  vague  and  confused,  and  similar  as- 
semblages of  objects,  arise,  is  by  common  testimony  a 
matter  of  determined  cultivation.  Professions  which 
require  regular  public  speaking,  as  of  the  ministry  or  the 
law ;  the  massing  of  facts  before  the  mind,  as  in  the  trial 
of  jury  cases  ;  the  forming  of  material  shapes  and  their 
organization  into  imaginary  mechanisms,  as  in  invention  ; 
the  grasp  of  details  and  comprehensive  plans,  as  in  large 
business  enterprises  and  military  operations ;  —  all  fur- 
nish illustrations  of  the  truth  that  not  original  endowment 
alone,  but  energetic  exercise  of  Will,  is  requisite  to  suc- 
cess. Ideas,  relations,  objects  and  combinations  may  be 
made  more  vivid  and  real  by  resolution  of  the  mind  and 
persistent  practice.  Failures  in  these  fields  are  frequently 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  Will  does  not  force  the  mind 
to  see  things  as  details  and  as  complex  wholes.  The 
strong  Will  enables  the  mind  to  recall,  with  growing 
intensity,  objects,  mechanisms,  assemblages  of  facts  and 
persons,  outlines  of  territory,  complex  details  and  laws  of 
enterprise,  and  airy  fancies  and  huge  conceptions  of  the 
worlds  of  real  life  and  of  ideal  existence.  The  imagi- 
nation is  the  pioneer  of  progress  —  in  religion,  industry, 


According  to  Your    Will.  25 

art  and  science ;  but  as  such  it  is  not  a  lawless  necro- 
mancer without  deliberate  purpose.  The  spirit  that  sum- 
mons, guides  and  controls  it  is  the  soul's  mysterious 
power  of  self-direction.  And  this  power  is  equally  sus- 
ceptible of  being  so  developed  as  to  indicate  selection 
and  exclusion  or  clamoring  images. 

Hence  it  would  seem  that  the  mind  may  train  and 
develop  its  own  power  of  willing.  When  cultivation  and 
improvement  of  Will  are  sought,  we  may  say,  "  I  will  to 
^vill  with  energy  and  decision  !  I  will  to  persist  in  willing  I 
I  will  to  will  intelligently  and  for  a  goal!  I^M  to  exercise 
the  Will  according  to  the  dictates  of  reason  and  of  morals  !  " 
Some  men  are  born  with  what  are  called  "  strong  Wills." 
If  these  are  to  be  reasonable  Wills  as  well,  they  must  be 
trained.  For  the  most  part  Will  would  seem  to  develop 
and  to  acquire  something  of  the  "  sweet  quality  of  reason- 
ableness," under  life-processes  which  are  more  or  less 
unconscious  and  unpurposed  so  far  as  this  end  is  con- 
cerned ;  nevertheless,  the  exigencies  of  "  getting  on " 
are  constant  and  unappreciated  trainers.  Discipline 
knocks  men  about  with  ruthless  jocularity.  "A  man 
who  fails,  and  will  not  see  his  faults,  can  never  improve." 
Here  is  a  grim-visaged,  and  oftentimes  humorous  school- 
master who  gives  small  pity  to  his  pupils.  They  must 
needs  acquire  some  power  of  Will  or  demonstrate  them- 
selves, not  human,  but  blockheads.  Much  of  life's  suf- 
fering is  due  to  the  fact  that  force  of  Will  is  neither 
developed  nor  trained  by  conscious  intelligent  effort,  and 
is  more  often  devoid  than  possessed  of  rational  moral 
quality.  This  is  a  curious  thing  —  that  the  Will  is  left  like 
Topsy,  "  to  grow  up."  Why  value  this  power,  yet  Uix 
it  "  catch-as-catch-can  ?  "  Why  hinge  success  upon  i ,,  yet 
give  it  so  little  conscious  attention?  Why  delegate  its 
improvement  to  the  indirection  of  "  hard  knocks,"  and  dis» 


26  Tests  of  Will. 

appointment  cankering  resolution,  and  misfortune  making 
water  of  life's  blooded  forces,  and  all  manner  of  diseases 
destroying  the  fine  fibre  of  mind's  divine  organism  ?  Why 
neglect  the  Will  until  consequence,  another  name  for  hell, 
oftentimes,  has  removed  "heaven"  by  the  diameter  of 
the  universe  ? 

James  Tyson,  a  bushman  in  Australia,  died  worth 
$25,000,000.  "  But,"  he  said,  with  a  characteristic  semi- 
exultant  snap  of  the  fingers,  "  the  money  is  nothing.  It 
was  the  little  game  that  was  the  fun ! "  Being  asked  once, 
"What  was  the  little  game?"  he  replied  with  an  energy 
of  concentration  peculiar  to  him  :  "  Fighting  the  desert. 
That  has  been  my  work.  I  have  been  fighting  the  desert 
all  my  life,  and  I  have  won  !  I  have  put  water  where  was 
no  water,  and  beef  where  was  no  beef.  I  have  put  fences 
where  there  were  no  fences,  and  roads  where  there  were  no 
roads.  Nothing  can  undo  what  I  have  done,  and  millions 
will  be  happier  for  it  after  I  am  long  dead  and  forgotten." 

"  The  longer  I  live,"  said  Fowell  Buxton,  whose  name 
is  connected  in  philanthropy  with  that  of  Wilberforce, 
"  the  more  certain  I  am  that  the  great  difference  between 
men,  between  the  feeble  and  the  powerful,  the  great  and 
the  insignificant,  is  ENEBGY  —  INVINCIBLE  DETERMINATION 
—  a  purpose  once  fixed,  and  then  Death  or  Victory.  That 
quality  will  do  anything  that  can  be  done  in  this  world ;  — 
and  no  talents,  no  circumstances,  no  opportunities  will 
make  a  two-legged  creature  a  MAN  without  it."  The 
power,  then,  ot  such  resistless  energy  should  with  resistless 
energy  be  cultivated. 

"  When  the  Will  fails,  the  battle  is  lost." 

III. 

The  perfect  Will  is  high  Priest  of  the  moral  self.  In- 
deed, a  tr'i«»  cultivation  of  Will  is  not  possible  without 


According  to   Tour   Will.  27 

reference  to  highest  reason  or  ideas  of  right.  In  the 
moral  consciousness  alone  is  discovered  the  explanation 
of  this  faculty  of  the  soul.  A  great  Will  may  obtain 
while  moral  considerations  are  ignored,  but  no  perfection 
of  Will  can  be  attained  regardless  of  requirements  of  high- 
est reason.  The  crowning  phase  of  the  Will  is  always 
ethical. 

Here  is  the  empire  of  man's  true  constitution.  Reso- 
lute Will  scorns  the  word  "  impossible."  The  strong  Will 
of  large  and  prolonged  persistence  condemns  whatever  is 
unreasonable.  Nobility  of  Will  is  seen  in  the  question, 
"  What  is  right  ?  "  Napoleon  exhibits  the  strong  continu- 
ous Will.  Washington  illustrates  the  persistence  of  moral 
resolution.  Jesus  incarnates  the  Will  whose  law  is  holi- 
ness. 

The  Will  that  possesses  energy  and  persistence,  but 
is  wanting  in  reasonableness  and  moral  control,  rules  in 
its  kingdom  with  the  fool's  industry  and  the  fanatical  obsti- 
nacy of  Philip  the  Second.  "  It  was  Philip's  policy  and 
pride  to  direct  all  the  machinery  of  his  extensive  empire, 
and  to  pull  every  string  himself.  .  .  .  The  object,  alike 
paltry  and  impossible,  of  this  ambition,  bespoke  the  nar- 
row mind."  Thus  has  Motley  described  an  incarnation 
of  perverted  wilfulness. 

If  the  "King"  will  not  train  himself,  how  shall  he 
demand  obedience  of  his  subjects,  the  powers  of  body, 
mind  and  spirit  ?  This  is  the  "  artist "  of  whom  Lord 
Lytton  sang :  — 

"  All  things  are  thine  estate ;  yet  must 

Thou  first  display  the  title  deeds, 
And  sue  the  world.    Be  strong ;  and  trust 
High  instincts  more  than  all  the  creeds." 


BALANCE. 


Full  waves,  full  tides,  swing  in  from  out  the  vast, 

Lapping  and  dashing,  breasting  up  the  marge ; 
Yet  ever  gently  turned,  or  backward  cast 
In  sullen  wrath.     The  steadfast  shore  comes  large. 
Here  meet  two  infinites,  equal,  face  to  face, 
In  wage  titanic  for  all  time  and  space. 

To  urge  right  onward— this  the  Will's  high  course; 

And  this  —  to  stand,  a  soul  of  adamant. 
The  sea  recedes  :  force  triumphs  over  force  ; 
Crumbles  the  shore:  the  waves  their  vicVry  chant. 
Lo,  at  the  heart  of  Power's  war  untimed 
Emerges  soul—  undaunted  and  sublimed. 

— THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  CONDUCT  OF  LIFE. 

JESOLVE  is  what  makes  a  man  manifest;  not 
puny  resolve,  not  crude  determinations,  not 
errant  purpose  —  but  that  strong  and  inde- 
fatigable Will  which  treads  down  difficulties  and  danger, 
as  a  boy  treads  down  the  heaving  frost-lands  of  winter ; 
which  kindles  his  eye  and  brain  with  a  proud  pulse-beat 
toward  the  unattainable.  Will  makes  men  giants.'' — Ike 
Marvel. 

The  thing  that  is.  and  creates  human  power,  as  the 
author  remarks  in  "  Business  Power,"  is  the  Will.  Theo- 
retically, the  Will  is  the  man.  Practically,  the  Will  is  just 
a  way  the  man  has  of  being  and  doing.  The  Will  is  man's 
inherent  nature-tendency  to  act  —  to  do  something.  This 
tendency  to  act  in  some  way  must  act  on  itself  —  take  it- 
self in  hand,  so  to  speak,  in  order  that  it  may  act  intelli- 
gently, continuously,  and  with  a  purpose.  Will  is  itself 
power ;  but  unfolded,  controlled  and  directed  power  in 
man  is  Will  self-mastered,  not  man-mastered  nor  nature- 
mastered.  The  man-mastered  and  nature-mastered  Will 
goes  with  the  motive  or  impulse  which  is  strongest.  The 
self-mastered  Will  goes  with  the  motive  which  the  self 
makes  greatest,  and  with  mere  impulse  in  very  slight  de- 
gree so  far  as  the  life  of  intelligence  is  concerned. 

The  self-mastered  Will  can  do  anything — within 
reason ;  and  reason  in  this  connection  should  be  con- 
ceived in  its  highest  human  sense.  The  function  of  Will 


30  The  Conduct  of  Life. 

is  like  that  of  steam.  It  must  be  powerful,  under  con- 
trol, and  properly  directed.  The  power  of  Will  may  be 
developed,  but  only  through  controlled  and  directed  ao 
tion.  The  control  may  be  acquired,  but  only  through 
willed  and  directed  action.  The  direction  may  be  de^ 
termined,  but  only  through  willed  and  controlled  action. 
When  Will  is  self-developed,  self -mastered,  self-directed,  it 
only  needs  proper  application  to  become  practically  all- 
powerful. 

FORMS  OF  WILL. 

In  the  conduct  of  life  every  form  in  which  the  normal 
Will  manifests  itself  is  demanded  for  success.  These  forms 
are :  The  Persistent  Will ;  The  Static  Will ;  The  Impel- 
ling Will ;  The  Dynamic  Will ;  The  Restraining  Will ;  The 
Explosive  Will ;  The  Decisive  Will. 

The  Static  Will,  or  Will  in  reserve,  constitutes  origi- 
nal source  of  energy.  As  heat,  light,  and  life  are  rooted 
in  the  sun,  so  are  varied  Volitions  sent  forth  from  this 
central  seat  of  power,  exhibiting  the  Dynamic  Will. 

The  Explosive  Will  illustrates  the  mind's  ability  for 
quick  and  masterful  summoning  of  all  its  forces.  The 
sudden  rush  of  the  whole  soul  in  one  compelling  deed 
seems  sometimes  next  to  omnipotence. 

Persistence  of  Will  involves  "  standing,"  sto  —  stare  — 
sistere,  and  "  through  "  —  per ;  "  standing  through."  The 
weakness  of  otherwise  strong  men  may  be  revealed  in 
life's  reactions.  "  Having  done  all,  to  stand,"  furnishes 
many  a  deciding  test.  This  phase  of  Will  is  not  ex- 
hausted in  the  common  saying,  "sticking  to  it,"  for  a 
barnacle  sticks,  and  is  carried  hither  and  thither  on  a 
ship's  bottom.  Persistence  involves  adherence  to  a  pur- 
pose clean  through  to  a  goal. 

The  abiding  mind  necessitates  the    Impelling   Will. 


"This  One  Thing  1  Do"  31 

The  Impelling  Will  suggests  an  ocean  "liner,"  driving 
onward,  right  onward,  through  calm  and  storm,  for  a  de- 
termined goal.  Sixty  years  of  that  kind  of  direct  motion 
must  summon  Will  to  all  its  varied  activities. 

It  is  curious,  too,  that  the  noble  quality  of  Will-power 
observed  in  impelling  persistence,  depends  upon  the  para- 
dox of  restraint.  An  engine  without  control  will  wreck 
itself  and  its  connected  machinery.  The  finest  racing 
speed  is  achieved  under  bit  and  mastery.  In  man  the 
power  that  drives  must  hold  back.  The  supremest  type 
of  man  exhibits  this  as  a  constant  attitude.  Success  in 
life  depends  upon  what  the  writers  call  the  Will's  power 
of  inhibition.  Here  we  have  the  Restraining  Will. 

At  times  the  character  of  Will  is  also  manifest  in  its 
ability  to  forbid  obedience  to  a  thousand  appealing  mo- 
tives, and  even  to  bring  all  action  to  a  full  stop  and  "  back 
water,"  in  order  to  a  new  decision,  a  new  immediate  or 
ultimate  goal.  Hence  life  is  full  of  demands  for  quick 
decisions  and  resistless  massing  of  resources  squarely  upon 
the  spur  of  exigency.  This  suggests  the  Decisive  Will. 

Such  are  some  of  the  forms  of  Will  which  are  re- 
quired for  the  conduct  of  affairs,  whether  ordinary  or  ex- 
traordinary. Even  a  slight  analysis  of  the  matter  would 
seem  to  suggest  that  there  can  be  no  tonic  like  the  mental 
mood  which  resolves  to  will. 

Here  is  a  treatment  from  deepest  laboratories  of  the  soul 
insuring  health.  A  purposeful  mind  says,  sooner  or  later, 
"  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL."  After  a  time  that  phrase  is  in  the 
air,  blows  with  the  wind,  shines  in  star  and  sun,  sings  with 
rivers  and  seas,  whispers  with  dreams  of  sleep  and  trumpets 
through  the  hurly-burly  of  day.  Eventually  it  becomes  a 
feeling  of  achievement  saturating  consciousness.  The  man 
knows  now  the  end,  because  all  prophecies  have  one  reading. 
He  has  begotten  the  instinct  of  victory. 


32  The  Conduct  of  Life. 

It  is  not  as  a  blind  man,  however,  that  he  walks. 
His  ineradicable  conviction  sees  with  the  eye  of  purpose. 
If  his  purpose  is  approvable  at  the  court  of  conscience, 
all  roads  lead  to  his  Rome.  « 

ONE  AIM  VICTORIOUS. 

Men  fail  for  lack  of  Some  Aim.  Their  desires  cover 
the  entire  little  field  of  life,  and  what  becomes  theirs  does 
so  by  accident.  Multitudes  of  people  are  the  beneficiaries 
of  blundering  luck. 

Everywhere  Some  Aim  would  make  "  hands  "  foremen, 
and  foremen  superintendents ;  would  conduct  poverty  to 
comfort,  and  comfort  to  wealth ;  would  render  men  who  are 
of  no  value  to  society  useful,  and  useful  men  indispensable. 

The  man  who  is  indispensable  owns  the  situation. 

The  world  is  ruled  by  its  servants.  The  successful 
servant  is  king. 

But  better  than  Somt  Aim,  which,  because  it  need  be 
neither  long-headed  nor  long-lived,  is  a  player  at  a  gaming 
table,  is  One  Aim,  by  which  all  fortune  is  turned  school- 
master and  good  fortune  is  labeled  "  reward  by  divine 
right."  The  true  divine  right  of  kings  is  here  alone. 

The  soul  that  resolves  to  will  One  Aim  makes  heavy 
and  imperious  call  on  the  nature  of  things. 

For,  while  many  understand  that  the  individual  must 
needs  adjust  himself  to  life,  few  perceive  the  greater  law, 
tha.  Jife  is  forever  engaged  in  a  desperate  struggle  to  adjust 
itself  ic  the  individual.  It  is  but  required  of  him  that  he 
treat  life  with  some  degree  of  dignity,  and  make  his  elec- 
tion and  plea  sure  by  putting  mind  in  the  masterful  spell 
of  some  One  ultimate  Aim  to  which  all  things  else  shall  be 
subordinated. 

Some  Aim  has  luck  on  its  side ;   One  Aim  has  law. 

Some  Aim  may  achieve  large  things,  and  occasionally 


"This   One   Thing  I  Do."  33 

it  does ;  One  Aim  cannot  fail  to  make  the  nature  of  things 
its  prime  minister. 

Life  does  not  always  yield  the  One  Aim  its  boon  in 
exact  terms  of  desire,  because  men  often  fall  at  cross- 
purposes  with  endowment;  but  life  never  fails  to  grant  all 
the  equities  in  any  given  case. 

In  the  long  run  every  man  gets  in  life  about  what  he 
deserves.  The  vision  of  that  truth  embraces  many  things 
which  the  objector  will  not  see.  The  objector  mistakes 
what  he  desires  for  what  he  deserves. 

Hence  the  importance  of  self-discovery  in  life's  con- 
duct. It  is  probably  true  that  every  man  has  some  one 
supreme  possibility  within  his  make-up.  The  purposeful 
Will  usually  discovers  what  it  is. 

Buried  talents  are  always  "fool's  gold." 

One  thing  settled  —  the  Ultimate  Aim  —  and  talents 
begin  to  emerge  by  a  divine  fiat. 

The  revelation  of  power  may,  indeed,  be  made  while 
Will  roams  in  quest  of  a  purpose,  but,  that  purpose  found, 
Will  looks  for  its  means  and  methods ;  and  discovers  them 
within. 

William  Pitt  was  in  fact  born  with  a  definite  aim  in 
life.  "  From  a  child,"  says  a  recent  writer,  "  he  was  made 
to  realize  that  a  great  career  was  expected  of  him,  worthy 
of  his  renowned  father.  This  was  the  keynote  of  all  his 
instruction." 

General  Grant  is  said  to  have  been  called  "  Useless 
Grant "  by  his  mother.  He  discovered  himself  at  Shiloh, 
after  some  pottering  with  hides  and  leather  which  was  not 
even  preliminary.  But  Grant  always  "  stuck  to  the  thing 
in  hand,"  so  far  as  it  was  worth  while  doing  so.  When 
war  brought  his  awareness  of  self  to  the  point  of  definite 
meaning,  he  found  every  detail  and  the  largest  campaigns 
eminently  worth  the  while  of  a  Will  which  had  at  last  un- 


34  The  Conduct  of  Life. 

covered  its  highway.  "  The  great  thing  about  him,"  said 
Lincoln, "  is  cool  persistency  of  purpose.  He  is  not  easily 
excited,  and  he  has  got  the  grip  of  a  bulldog.  When  he 
once  gets  his  teeth  in,  nothing  can  shake  him  off." 

The  One  Aim  is  always  a  commentary  on  character. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  see  why  life  needs  Some  Aim.  Why  it 
should  concentrate  upon  One  Aim  suggests  the  whole 
philosophy  of  human  existence.  Nero  had  One  Aim,  and 
it  destroyed  the  half  of  Rome.  Alexander  the  Great  had 
One  Aim,  and  he  died  in  a  debauch.  The  One  Aim  may 
involve  selfishness,  crimes,  massacres,  anarchy,  universal 
war,  civilization  hurled  to  chaos.  One  Aim  assassinated 
Garfield,  ruined  Spain,  inaugurated  the  Massacre  of  Saint 
Bartholomew,  gave  birth  to  the  "  unspeakable  Turk,"  de- 
vised a  system  of  enmity  against  existing  orders  and  insti- 
tutions, threatens  to  throw  Europe  into  revolutionary 
carnage,  and,  in  a  thousand  ways,  has  power  to  light  the 
pyre  of  civilization's  destruction.  One  Aim  is  no  more 
descriptive  of  Heaven  than  it  is  of  Hell. 

The  climax  of  Will,  therefore,  is  possible  under  moral 
considerations  alone.  Character,  which  is  the  sum  total 
of  a  man's  good  (moral)  qualities,  furnishes  a  third  phras- 
ing for  Will's  purpose,  the  Righteous  Aim. 

THE  HIGHEST  AIM. 

Will  with  Righteous  Aim  creates  character.  Charac- 
ter, with  Righteous  Will,  creates  Noblest  Aim.  Character, 
with  Noblest  Aim,  creates  Righteous  Will. 

The  relation  between  the  man,  the  aim,  the  Will,  is 
dependent  and  productive.  There  is  really  no  high  justi- 
fication for  One  Aim  if  it  be  not  best  aim.  Life  is  ethical. 
Its  motives  and  its  means  and  its  achievements  justify  only 
in  aims  converging  to  its  utmost  moral  quality. 

It  is  here  that  possession  of  Will  finds  explanation,  as 


"  This   One   Thing  I  Do."  35 

elsewhere  remarked.  Below  man  there  is  no  supreme 
sovereignty  of  Will ;  all  is  relative  and  reflex.  But  this 
sovereignty  furnishes  its  reason  in  moral  self-development, 
in  moral  community-relations,  in  moral  oneness  with  Deity. 

So  true  is  it  that  righteousness  alone  justifies  the  exist- 
ence of  the  human  Will,  that  the  finest  development  of  the 
power  comes  of  its  moral  exercise.  Above  the  martyr  who 
founds  a  material  government  the  world  places  with  eager 
zeal  that  soul  who  establishes  by  his  death  a  kingdom  of 
religion. 

The  Static  Will  furnishes  energy  in  abnormal  life. 
The  Explosive  Will  murders.  The  Persistent  Will  may 
exhibit  in  obstinacy  and  national  crimes.  The  Impelling 
Will  is  sometimes  hugely  reckless.  The  Restraining  Will 
has  its  phases  in  "  mulishness  "  and  stupidity.  The  De- 
cisive Will  is  frequently  guilty  of  wondrous  foolhardiness. 
Idiocy,  insanity,  senility,  savagery  and  various  forms  of 
induced  mania  represent  the  Will  in  disorder,  without  a 
master,  and  working  pathos  fathomless  or  tragic  horror. 

If,  then,  we  ask,  "  Why  One  Aim  in  life  ?  "  the  names 
of  Socrates,  Buddha,  Charlemagne,  Alfred  the  Great,  Wil- 
liam of  Orange,  Gladstone,  Washington,  Wilberforce,  Lin- 
coln, may  be  offset  by  those  of  Caligula,  the  Medici, 
Lucretia  Borgia,  Philip  the  Second.  Asking,  "Why  the 
Righteous  Aim  ?  "  troop  before  the  mind's  expanding  eye 
all  holy  heroes  and  movements  "  i'  the  tide  o'  time ; "  and 
no  counterpoise  appears,  for  all  is  great,  all  is  good. 

Moral  purpose,  however,  is  no  prestidigitator.  The 
Will,  set  on  all  good  things  for  ultimate  goal,  is  still  merely 
the  mind's  power  of  self-direction.  All  requisites  for 
strong  Will  anywhere  are  demands  here.  Inasmuch  as 
the  moral  aim  involves  the  whole  of  life,  Will,  making  for 
it,  requires  the  ministry  of  cultivated  perceptions  :  seeing 
things  as  they  are,  especially  right  things  ;  developed  sen- 


36  The   Conduct  of  Life. 

sibilities :  sensitive  toward  evil,  capacious  for  good ;  a 
large  imagination :  embracing  details,  qualities,  conse- 
quences, reasons  and  ultimate  manifold  objects ;  active, 
trained  and  just  reasoning  faculties  :  apprehending  the 
incentive,  utility  and  inspiration  of  truth ;  and  deep  and 
rich  moral  consciousness  :  nourishing  the  Will  from  inex- 
haustible fountains  of  legitimate  self-complacency. 

In  other  words,  the  moral  Will,  which  alone  is  best 
Will,  demands  of  its  owner  constant  and  adequate  consid- 
eration, of  plan,  of  means,  of  methods,  of  immediate  and 
ultimate  end. 

The  successful  conduct  of  life  is  always  hinged  upon 
"  This  one  thing  I  do."  Where  such  is  really  the  law  of 
conduct,  the  world  beholds  an  aroused  soul.  "  The  first 
essential  of  success,"  said  a  great  bank  president,  "  is  the 
fear  of  God." 

A  live  man  is  like  a  factory  working  on  full  time. 
Here  is  creation ;  every  power  at  labor,  every  function 
charged  with  energy,  huge  action  dominating  the  entire 
situation,  and  yielding  valuable  products.  This  man  puts 
his  body  into  the  thing  in  hand,  mightily  confident.  His 
mental  being  does  not  detail  itself  off  in  "gangs,"  but 
swarms  at  it  with  that  tirelessness  which  makes  enthusiasm 
a  wonder.  His  intuitions  flash,  impel,  restrain,  urge 
resistlessly,  decide  instantly  —  presiding  genii  of  limited 
empires.  Reasoning  faculties  mass  upon  questions  vital, 
and  hold  clear  court,  till  justice  be  known.  If  he  be 
right-souled  man,  he  emerges,  Will  at  the  fore,  from  Deca- 
logue and  Mountain  Sermon  daily,  squaring  enterprise 
with  the  Infinite. 

The  whole  man,  swinging  a  great  Will,  conserves  htm- 
self. 

Why  must  there  be  discussions  on  selfishness  and 
self-interest?  A  sound  soul  is  always  a  best  soul.  A 


"  This   One   Thing  I  Do"  37 

selfish  soul  is  never  sound.  But  a  sound  soul  must  con- 
tinue sound.  Altruism  begins  with  the  self.  Society  needs 
the  whole  man  —  all  there  is  of  him,  and  always  at  his 
best.  Hence  the  nature  of  things  makes  it  law  that  a  man 
shall  endeavor  to  make  the  most  of  himself  in  every  way 
which  is  not  inimical  to  soundness.  This  is  the  first  prin- 
ciple of  holiness  —  wholeness  —  soundness.  As  that  is 
worked  into  conduct,  the  second  principle  appears  — 
Service. 

For  the  service  of  a  sound  soul  the  Universe  will  pay 
any  price. 

And  here  again  emerge  some  old  and  common  rules. 
It  is  function  of  Will  to  resolve  on  preservation  of  bodily 
health,  mental  integrity  and  growth,  and  moral  develop- 
ment. In  the  eye  of  that  high  resolution  no  detail  is  with- 
out importance.  A  trained  Will  regards  every  detail  as  a 
campaign. 

DRUDGERY  AND  THE  WILL. 

Power  of  Will  is  an  accretion.  Force  is  atoms  ac- 
tively aggregated.  The  strong  Will  is  omnivorous,  feed- 
ing upon  all  things  with  little  discrimination.  Pebbles, 
no  less  than  boulders,  compose  mountains.  The  man 
who  cannot  will  to  stick  to  trifles  and  bundle  them  into 
importants,  is  now  defeated.  The  keynote  of  success  is 
drudgery. 

Drudgery  stands  at  every  factory  door,  and  looks 
out  of  every  store  window.  If  drudgery  be  not  some- 
where in  a  book,  it  is  not  worth  the  reading.  Inspiration 
stands  tip-toe  on  the  back  of  poor  drudgery.  The  ante- 
cedents of  facile  and  swift  art  are  the  aches  and  sorrows 
of  drudgery.  The  resistance  of  angels  collapses  only 
after  Jacob  has  found  his  thigh  out  of  joint,  and  yet  cries  : 
"  I  will  not  let  thee  go  1 "  Jesus  had  to  climb  even 
Calvary. 


38  The   Conduct  of  Life. 

An  English  Bishop  said  truly  :  "Of  all  work  that 
produces  results,  nine-tenths  must  be  drudgery."  Realty 
great  poets,  prose-writers  and  artists  verify  this  remark. 
Edmund  Burke  bestowed  upon  his  speeches  and  addresses 
an  immense  amount  of  painstaking  toil.  Macaulay's  His- 
tory cost  almost  incalculable  labor.  The  first  Emperor  of 
Germany  was  an  enormous  worker.  Indeed,  taking  the 
world  "by  and  large,"  labor  without  genius  is  little  more 
incapable  than  genius  without  labor. 

Kepler,  the  astronomer,  carried  on  his  investigations 
with  prodigious  labor.  In  calculating  an  opposition  of 
Mars,  he  filled  ten  folio  pages  with  figures,  and  repeated 
the  work  ten  times,  so  that  seven  oppositions  required  a 
folio  volume  of  700  pages.  It  has  been  said  that  "the 
discoveries  of  Kepler  were  secrets  extorted  from  nature  by 
the  most  profound  and  laborious  research." 

It  was  the  steadiness  of  Haydn's  application  to  his 
art  which  made  him  one  of  the  first  of  modern  musicians. 
He  did  not  compose  haphazard,  but  proceeded  to  his  work 
regularly  at  a  fixed  hour  every  day.  These  methods,  with 
the  extremest  nicety  of  care  in  labor,  gave  him  a  place  by 
the  side  of  Mozart,  who,  while  possessed  of  the  genius 
of  facility,  was  nevertheless  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
drudgery. 

And  there  can  be  no  drudgery  without  patience,  the 
ability  to  wait,  constancy  in  exertion  with  an  eye  on  the 
goal.  Here  is  a  complex  word  which  readily  splits  into 
fortitude,  endurance  and  expectation.  It  is  kaleidoscopic 
in  its  variations.  In  the  saint's  character  patience  is  a 
lamb  ;  in  that  which  builds  an  industry  or  founds  an 
empire,  it  is  a  determined  bulldog. 

"Genius  is  patience,"  said  Davy;  "What  I  am  I 
have  made  myself."  Grant  was  patient :  Once  his  teeth 
got  in,  they  never  let  go."  The  assiduous  Will  is  first 


"This  One   Thing  I  Do."  39 

principle  in  achievement,  whether  of  men  or  nations. 
The  indefatigable  purpose  is  prophet  of  all  futures. 

But  the  "  King  on  his  Throne  "  is  no  dull  monarch  of 
obstinacy.  Reason  defies  inertia.  "  We  say  that  Will 
is  strong  whose  aim,"  remarks  Th.  Ribot,  "whatever  it 
be,  is  fixed.  If  circumstances  change,  means  are  changed ; 
adaptations  are  successfully  made,  in  view  of  new  environ- 
ments ;  but  the  centre  toward  which  all  converges  does 
not  change.  Its  stability  expresses  the  permanency  of 
character  in  the  individual." 

All  things  come  to  the  net  of  this  rational  indefatiga- 
bility.  As  Carlyle  says  of  Cromwell :  "  That  such  a  man, 
with  the  eye  to  see,  with  the  heart  to  dare,  should  advance, 
from  post  to  post,  from  victory  to  victory,  till  the  Hunting- 
ton  Farmer  became,  by  whatever  name  you  might  call  him, 
the  acknowledged  strongest  man  in  England,  requires  no 
magic  to  explain  it.  For  this  kind  of  man,  on  a  shoe- 
maker's bench  or  in  the  President's  chair,  is  always  '  Rex, 
Regulator,  Roi;'  or  still  better,  'King,  Koennig,'  which 
means  Can-ning,  Able-man." 

And  this  same  adaptive  pursuit  of  the  main  thing  has 
made  of  Cromwell's  and  Carlyle's  England  the  First 
Power  in  Europe.  As  William  Mathews  has  said  :  "  The 
'asthmatic  skeleton'  (William  III.)  who  disputed,  sword 
in  hand,  the  bloody  field  of  Landon,  succeeded  at  last, 
without  winning  a  single  great  victory,  in  destroying  the 
prestige  of  his  antagonist  (Louis  XIV.),  exhausting  his 
resources,  and  sowing  the  seeds  of  his  final  ruin,  simply 
by  the  superiority  of  British  patience  and  perseverance. 
So,  too,  in  the  war  of  giants  waged  with  Napoleon,  when 
all  the  great  military  powers  of  the  continent  went  down 
before  the  iron  flail  of  the  '  child  of  destiny,'  like  ninepins, 
England  wearied  him  out  by  her  pertinacity,  rather  than 
by  the  brilliancy  of  her  operations,  triumphing  by  sheer 


40  The  Conduct  of  Life. 

dogged  determination  over  the  greatest  master  of  combi- 
nation the  world  ever  saw." 

It  was  identically  this  that  led,  in  American  history, 
to  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  to  Washington,  and  to  the 
last  interview  between  Lee,  a  great  soul,  an  heroic  Chris- 
tian fighter,  a  consummate  "Can-ning  man,  Able-man." 

To  a  Will  of  this  sort  defeats  are  merely  new  lights 
on  reason,  and  difficulties  are  fresh  gymnastics  for  develop- 
ment of  colossal  resolve,  and  discouragements  are  the 
goading  stimuli  of  titanic  bursts  of  energy. 

"  By  means  of  a  cord,  which  passes  from  his  artificial 
hand  up  his  right  coat-sleeve,  then  across  his  back,  then 
down  his  left  coat-sleeve  to  the  remainder  of  his  left  arm, 
an  American  editor  has  achieved  success.  He  is  enabled 
to  close  the  fingers  of  his  artificial  hand  and  grasp  his 
pen.  By  keeping  his  left  elbow  bent,  the  tension  of  the 
string  is  continued,  and  the  artificial  fingers  hold  the  pen 
tightly,  while  the  editor  controls  its  course  over  the  paper 
by  a  movement  of  the  upper  arm  and  shoulder.  By  this 
means,  without  arms,  he  has  learned  to  write  with  the 
greatest  ease,  and  more  rapidly  and  legibly  than  the  aver- 
age man  of  his  age  who  has  two  good  hands.  For  ten 
years,  he  has  written  with  this  mechanical  hand  practi- 
cally all  of  the  editorials,  and  a  very  large  amount  of  the 
local  and  advertising  matter  that  has  gone  into  his  paper." 

"  Suppose,"  said  Lord  Clarendon  to  Cyrus  W.  Field, 
talking  about  the  proposed  Atlantic  Cable,  "you  don't 
succeed  ?  Suppose  you  make  the  attempt  and  fail  — your 
cable  is  lost  in  the.  sea  —  then  what  will  you  do  ? " 
"Charge  it  to  profit  and  loss,  and  go  to  work  to  lay 
another." 

To  suppose  the  iron  Will  to  fail  is  to  suppose  a  con- 
tradiction of  terms. 

Perhaps  no  historic   character  has  more  perfectly 


"  This  One   Thing  I  Do"  41 

illustrated  this  element  of  success  than  William  of  Orange, 
to  whom  Holland  the  Wonderful  owes  more  than  to  any 
other  son  in  her  brilliant  family.  "  Of  the  soldier's  great 
rirtues,"  writes  Motley,  "constancy  in  disaster,  devotion 
to  duty,  hopefulness  in  defeat  —  no  man  ever  possessed  a 
larger  share.  That  with  no  lieutenant  of  eminent  valor  or 
experience,  save  only  his  brother  Louis,  and  with  none  at 
all  after  that  chieftain's  death,  William  of  Orange  should 
succeed  in  baffling  the  efforts  of  Alva,  Requesens,  Don 
John  of  Austria,  and  Alexander  Farnese  —  men  whose 
names  are  among  the  most  brilliant  in  the  military  annals 
of  the  world  —  is  in  itself  sufficient  evidence  of  his  war- 
like ability." 

These  men,  great  and  world-famed,  were,  however, 
»en  only.  They  were  but  Intellects  working  with  the 
"  King  on  his  Throne."  It  is  a  statement  which  points 
every  other  man  to  his  ultimate  goal  that  they  achieved 
through  that  common  endowment,  power  of  Will. 

The  conduct  of  life  hinges  on  the  strength  and 
quality  of  Will  more  than  any  other  factor.  The  cry  for 
"opportunity"  is  essentially  weak;  opportunity  crowds 
upon  the  imperious  Will.  The  mediocrity  of  men  is  too 
largely  of  their  own  creation. 

Gladstone,  with  large  faith  in  the  "commoners," 
said  truly: 

"In  some  sense  and  in  some  effectual  degree,  there 
is  in  every  man  the  material  of  good  work  in  the  world  ; 
in  every  man,  not  only  in  those  who  are  brilliant,  not  only 
in  those  who  are  quick,  but  in  those  who  are  stolid,  and 
eren  in  those  who  are  dull." 


SENSE    JOYS. 


To  see  not  with  a  gladsome  eye, 

Nor  own  the  vibrant  ear ; 
To  sense  no  fragrance  drifting  by, 

To  feel  no  lover  near: 
Of  such  dread  loss,  oh  what  choose  I 

Were  either  loss  my  fear  f 

Now  all  these  gifts  of  soul  a-thrill, 

With  taste  for  bread  and  wine, 
And  one  good  servant,  Master  Will, 

And  the  wide  world,  are  mine! 
Lo,  riches  vast  my  coffers  Jill, 

And  life 's  a  joy  divine  ! 

—Tun;  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  WILL. 

JECH ANIC AL  obedience'  (in  the  treatment 
of  disease —  and  of  mind  as  well  as  of  body) 
is  but  one-half  the  battle ;  the  patient  must 
not  only  will,  he  must  believe.  The  whole  nature  of  man 
must  be  brought  to  the  task,  moral  as  well  as  physical, 
for  the  seat  of  the  disease  is  not  confined  to  the  body ; 
the  vital  energies  are  wasted ;  the  Will,  often  the  mind, 
are  impaired.  Fidelity  of  the  body  is  as  nothing  if  not 
reinforced  by  fidelity  of  the  soul."  —  Dr.  Salisbury. 

The  Will  may  become  diseased.  Disease  is  "want 
of  ease,"  that  is,  of  comfort,  arising  from  the  failure  of 
functions  to  act  in  a  normal  manner.  It  is,  then,  "  any 
disorder  or  depraved  condition  or  element,"  physical, 
mental  or  moral. 

A  disease  of  the  Will  may  be  defined  as  a  more  or 
less  permanent  lack  of  action,  normal,  (<z)  to  the  indi- 
vidual, (£)  to  sound  human  nature  in  general.  When  a 
person's  Will  is  more  or  less  permanently  disordered  with 
reference  to  his  normal  individual  activity,  we  have  a  case 
for  medical  treatment.  When  a  person's  Will  is  more  or 
less  permanently  disordered  with  reference  to  the  normal 
human  standard,  we  have  a  case  for  education. 

It  is  now  to  be  observed  that  a  diseased  condition  of 
the  Will  may  result  — 


44  Diseases  of  the   Witt. 

First,  from  a  diseased  mind ; 

Secondly,  from  an  illy-developed  mind ; 

Thirdly,  from  causes  resident  in  the  Will  considered 
as  a  "faculty"  of  mind.  Strictly  speaking,  a  disease  of 
the  Will  is  a  disease  of  the  self,  inasmuch  as  it  is  the 
self  that  wills.  But  there  are  phases  of  the  Will,  practi- 
cally to  be  regarded  as  diseases,  which  manifest  themselves 
in  the  midst  of  otherwise  normal  conditions  of  mind,  and 
these  are,  therefore,  mentioned  under  the  third  division 
above. 

CLASSES  OF  DISEASED  WILL. 
I. 

Class  First:  Diseases  of  Will  coming  under  the 
head  of  diseased  mind  are  shown  in  insanity.  In  almost 
all  cases  of  mental  variation  from  the  normal  standard, 
the  Will  is  more  or  less  affected.  This  follows  because 
insanity  is  "a  prolonged  departure  of  the  individual's 
normal  standard  of  thinking,  feeling  and  acting."  The 
standard  is  that  of  the  individual,  not  that  of  normal 
human  nature.  Always  the  action  of  the  Will  depends 
largely  upon  the  individual's  way  of  thinking  and  feeling. 
Insanity  often  clearly  defines,  and  thus  separates  from, 
diseases  of  Will  in  the  so-called  normal  mind.  In  cases 
of  insanity  the  Will,  considered  as  power  in  mind  to  put 
forth  some  kind  of  Volition,  may  remain  with  more  or 
less  strength,  but  is  either  weakened  or  controlled  by 
physiological  conditions  or  false  ideas.  The  "  King  "  is 
here  dethroned.  In  diseases  of  Will  which  are  subject  to 
education  not  medical,  the  "  King  "  remains  in  his  normal 
position  as  ruler,  but  is  weak,  or  erratic,  or  permanently 
irrational  as  to  the  standard  of  average  human  conduct. 


As  is  the  Mind,  so  is  the  Witt.  45 

II. 

Class  Second :  There  are  some  cases  of  diseased 
Will  in  the  illy-developed  mind  which  show  paralysis  of 
power,  all  other  functions  remaining  normal.  Thus,  a 
sudden  great  emotion  may  paralyze  the  volitional  action, 
such  as  fear,  or  anger,  or  joy.  Inability  to  will  may  also 
obtain  temporarily  in  reverie  or  ecstasy,  or  as  seen  in 
curious  experiences  common  to  most  people  when  the 
self  wishes  to  act,  but  seems  for  the  time  unable  to  put 
forth  the  necessary  Volition.  Such  paralysis  runs  all  the 
way  from  momentary  to  prolonged  or  total.  In  the  latter 
cases  we  have  again  subjects  for  medical  treatment,  as 
when  one  person  was  two  hours  in  trying  to  get  his  coat 
off,  or  was  unable  to  take  a  glass  of  water  offered. 

Whether  the  difficulty  in  cases  of  illy-developed 
mind  is  physiological,  or  a  mere  lack  of  belief  in  one's 
power  to  will  a  given  act,  the  outcome  is  the  same.  For 
the  time-being,  the  Will  is  dead,  or  the  mind,  as  to  willing, 
is  in  a  state  of  dead-lock.  It  cannot  put  forth  a  Volition 
in  the  desired  direction.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  feeling, 
desire,  thinking,  judgment,  conscience,  are  not  always 
determinative  of  Will-action.  The  action  of  mind  in  will- 
ing is  as  distinct  as  the  action  of  mind  in  imagining, 
recalling,  reasoning  or  apprehending  right  and  wrong. 
For  example,  why,  in  a  state  of  indecision  as  to  getting 
up  of  a  cold  winter  morning,  do  you  suddenly  find  your- 
self shivering  on  the  floor  and  wondering  how  it  happened 
that  you  are  out  of  bed  ?  It  needs  but  to  fix  that  state  of 
irresolution  or  inability  for  a  period,  to  show  the  mind  in 
a  dead-lock  of  the  Will. 

Willing  is  a  matter  of  mental  states.  The  illy- 
developed  self  may  will  neither  correctly  nor  strongly. 
Whether  or  not  it  can  do  so  depends  upon  many  things 
which  are  discussed  in  the  Third  Part  of  this  book.  Of 


46  Diseases  of  the    Will. 

the  mind  in  general  it  is  said  that  *'  willing,  in  intensity 
ranges  up  and  down  a  scale  in  which  are  three  degrees  — 
wishing,  purposing  and  determining.  Weak  Volition 
wishes,  resolute  Volition  purposes,  while  strong  Volition 
acts."  But  Volition  does  not  wish;  this  is  an  act  of 
mind.  As  one  has  said :  "  I  may  desire  meat,  or  ease 
from  pain ;  but  to  say  that  I  will  meat  or  ease  from  pain 
is  not  English."  Weak  Volition  is  the  Will  exerting  itself 
weakly.  Strong  Volition  indicates  mental  energy  in  the 
act  of  willing.  Resolute  Volition  is  strong  Volition  con- 
tinued. The  facts  in  this  connection  are  as  follows : 

When  the  state  of  mind  is  predominantly  that  of 
desire  merely,  its  act  in  willing  may  be  weak  or  inde- 
cisive. When  the  mind  greatly  approves  a  given  desire 
and  determines  that  to  be  purpose,  its  Volition  becomes 
strong.  The  energy  with  which  itself  or  the  body  obeys 
Volition,  and  if  the  purpose  is  remote,  continues  to  obey, 
measures  the  intensity  of  the  willing  act 

Now,  what  are  called  diseases  of  the  Will  under  our 
second  division,  are  simply  ill-conditions  of  the  self  im- 
mediately going  out  in  the  act  of  willing,  or  of  the  mind 
engaged  in  the  realm  of  the  sensibilities,  the  imagination, 
the  reasoning  faculties  and  the  moral  consciousness,  as 
realities  capable  of  influencing  the  action  of  the  Will. 

For  "  the  ultimate  reason  of  choice  is  partly  in  the 
character,  that  is  to  say,  in  that  which  constitutes  the  dis- 
tinctive mark  of  the  individual  in  the  psychological  sense, 
and  differentiates  him  from  all  other  individuals  in  the 
same  species,"  and  partly  in  possible  ideals,  following 
which  he  may  more  or  less  change  that  distinctive  char- 
acter. 

"  It  is  the  general  tone  of  the  individual's  feelings, 
the  general  tone  of  his  organism,  that  is  the  first  and  true 
If  this  is  lacking  the  individual  cannot  exercise 


As  is  the  Mtnd,  so  is  the    Will.  47 

Will  at  all  It  is  precisely  because  this  fundamental 
state  is,  according  to  the  individual  constitution,  stable  or 
fluctuating,  continuous  or  variable,  strong  or  weak,  that 
we  have  three  principal  types  of  Will  —  strong,  weak  and 
intermittent,  with  all  intermediate  degrees  and  shades  of 
difference  between  the  three.  But  these  differences,  we 
repeat,  spring  from  the  character  of  the  individual,  and 
that  depends  upon  his  special  constitution."  And  it  is 
precisely  because  "this  fundamental  state  is,  according 
to  the  individual  constitution,"  subject  to  education  and 
improvement,  so  that,  if  fluctuating,  it  may  become  stable, 
if  variable  it  may  become  continuous,  if  weak,  it  may  be- 
come strong,  that  this  book  is  written. 

A  good  Will  may  or  may  not  act  quickly :  that  de- 
pends upon  the  individual's  constitution ;  but  it  is  marked 
by  power  when  it  does  act 

A  good  Will  may  or  may  not  persist :  that  depends 
upon  the  constitution  and  the  dictates  of  personal  wisdom ; 
but  when  personal  wisdom  succeeds  in  influence,  the  Will 
holds  steadfastly  to  the  thing  in  hand. 

The  highest  type  of  Will  reveals  "  a  mighty,  irrepressi- 
ble passion  which  controls  all  the  thoughts  of  the  man. 
This  passion  is  the  man  —  the  psychic  expression  of  his 
constitution  as  nature  made  it."  Historic  examples  are 
seen  in  Caesar,  Michael  Angelo,  Napoleon. 

In  the  next  lower  grade  the  above  harmony  between 
the  outer  conduct  and  the  inner  purpose  is  broken  by 
various  groups  of  tendencies,  working  together,  but  oppos- 
ing the  central  purpose.  The  man  is  switched  off  the 
main  track.  Francis  Bacon  was  called  ' '  the  greatest,  the 
wisest  and  the  meanest  of  mankind,"  having  diverged 
from  the  highest  line  of  rectitude,  and  Leonardo  da  Vinci, 
following  Art,  yet  yielded  to  the  seductions  of  his  inven- 
tive genius,  and  produced  but  one  masterpiece. 


48  Diseases  of  the    Will. 

A  third  grade  is  seen  where  two  or  more  main  pur- 
poses alternately  sway  the  individual,  none  ruling  for 
long,  each  influencing  the  conduct  in  turn.  Dr.  Jekyll 
and  Mr.  Hyde  are  two  beings  in  one  person,  each  possess- 
ing a  strong  Will  for  himself,  but  unable  to  cope  with 
the  tendencies  of  the  other.  A  multiplication  of  such 
diverting  purposes  denotes  a  still  further  degradation  of 
the  Will. 

Lastly  appear  those  types  of  diseased  Will  peculiar 
to  insanity. 

III. 

Class  Third:  In  this  division  we  have  before  us, 
not  the  mind  as  acting,  but  the  willing-act  of  the  mind. 
Whether  the  Will  be  exercised  rightly  or  wrongly,  wisely 
or  foolishly,  is  not  now  the  question  in  hand.  That 
question  refers  simply  to  Will-power,  or  the  naked  Will ; 
just  as,  if  an  individual's  muscular  power  were  in  ques- 
tion, the  morality  or  the  wisdom  of  its  use  might  be  vari- 
ously estimated,  itself  being  swift  or  slow,  weak  or  strong, 
capable  of  endurance  or  easily  exhausted.  The  Will  is 
what  it  is,  regardless  of  the  direction  or  the  quality  of  its 
exercise. 

Disease  of  Will,  as  considered  in  the  third  class,  is 
limited  to  two  general  forms  :  want  of  power  and  want  of 
stability. 

But  these  general  divisions  resolve  themselves  into 
more  specific  cases,  as  follows  :  — 

i.  Want  of  Volitional  Impulse.  A  state  of  mind  in 
which  the  impulse  to  will  is  wanting  is  illustrated  in  the 
cases  already  cited,  in  which  one  could  not  get  his  coat 
off ;  or  in  cases  of  reverie,  ecstasy,  etc.,  where  the  mind 
is  so  fully  absorbed  by  some  fanciful  condition  as  to  be 
momentarily  incapable  of  willing  contrary  thereto. 


As  is  the  Mind,  so  is  the    Will.  49 

Cure:  Of  insane  cases,  medical  treatment;  of  those 
of  reverie,  ecstasy,  and  the  like,  good  health,  full  life, 
vigorous  action.  For  the  mind  that  suffers  the  deadlock 
of  Will  there  is  no  other  remedy  than  actual,  concrete 
life,  and  practical,  strenuous  activity. 

Cultivate  the  Moods  of  Resolution  and  Decision.  (See 
Chapter  VI.) 

2.  Inability  to  Decide.  Some  people  never  attain  to 
a  clear  view  of  any  situation  ;  they  cannot  see  the  essen- 
tial details ;  they  cannot  weigh  motives ;  they  cannot  fore- 
cast the  future  ;  they  are  wanting  in  courage  as  to  possible 
consequences ;  their  imagination  is  good  for  evils,  but 
not  for  benefits  ;  hence  they  can  never,  or  rarely,  come  to 
a  definite,  decisive  determination.  They  drift ;  they  do 
not  act  according  to  specific  determinations;  they  are 
creatures  of  momentary  impulse;  they  are  automata,  so 
far  as  concerns  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life,  and,  in  its 
extraordinary  crises,  they  are  as  helpless  as  driftwood. 

Cure :  Cultivate  the  habit  of  concentrated  attention 
to  the  thing  in  hand,  pro  and  con  ;  resolve  to  will,  any- 
how, somehow,  with  the  best  light  rapidly  examined,  con- 
fident that  such  resolution,  under  the  lessons  of  experience, 
will  ultimately  come  out  best  for  individual  interests. 

"  Sometimes  a  person  encounters  emergencies  where 
he  must  make  a  decision,  although  aware  that  it  is  not  a 
mature  decision,  approved  by  the  whole  cabinet  of  his 
mental  powers.  In  that  case  he  must  bring  all  his  com- 
prehension and  comparison  into  active,  instant  exercise, 
and  feel  that  he  is  making  the  best  decision  he  can  at  the 
time,  and  act.  Many  important  decisions  of  life  are  of 
this  kind  —  off-hand  decisions." 

And  especially  ought  it  to  be  remembered  that  "  call- 
ing upon  others  for  help  in  forming  a  decision  is  worse 


50  Diseases  of  the    Will. 

than  useless.     A  man  must  so  train  his  habit  as  to  rely 
upon  his  own  courage  in  moments  of  emergency." 
Act  always  on  the  straight  line. 

Cultivate  the  Mood  of  Decision. 

3.  Weakness  of  Volition.  The  failures  of  life,  which 
are  innumerable,  are  largely  due  to  this  disorder  of  the  Will. 
Whether  it  be  owing  to  a  want  of  feeling,  desire,  imagina- 
tion, memory  or  reason,  it  seems  to  be  universal.  The 
energetic  person  is  the  exception.  Thus,  a  writer  on 
Mental  Philosophy  has  described  a  historic  example  of 
this  prevalent  disease  ;  speaking  of  Coleridge  : 

"  There  was  probably  never  a  man  endowed  with 
such  remarkable  gifts  who  accomplished  so  little  that  was 
worthy  of  them  —  the  great  defect  of  his  character  being 
the  want  of  Will  to  turn  his  gifts  to  account ;  so  that, 
with  numerous  gigantic  projects  constantly  floating  in  the 
mind,  he  never  brought  himself  even  seriously  to  attempt 
to  execute  any  one  of  them.  It  used  to  be  said  of  him, 
that  whenever  either  natural  obligation  or  voluntary  under- 
taking made  it  his  duty  to  do  anything,  the  fact  seemed  a 
sufficient  reason  for  his  not  doing  it." 

So  De  Quincey,  the  celebrated  victim  of  the  opium 
habit,  said  in  his  "  Confessions  "  : 

"  I  seldom  could  prevail  upon  myself  to  write  a  letter  ; 
an  answer  of  a  few  words,  to  any  that  I  received,  was  the 
utmost  that  I  could  accomplish  ;  and  often  that  not  until  the 
letter  had  lain  weeks,  or  even  months  on  my  writing-table." 

Such  are  historic  examples  of  Will-power  so  weak  as 
to  be  practically  nil.  They  are  common  in  life,  although 
seldom  in  so  marked  a  degree  as  in  the  above  cases.  This 
disease  is  the  basis  of  all  grades  of  poverty. 

Cure:  Cultivate  the  sustained  mental  attitude  —  "I 
Resolve  to  Will!"  The  Resolute  Mood  ought  to  be 


As  is  the  Mind,  so  is  the    Will.  51 

kept  constantly  before  and  in  the  mind,  with  inability  to 
will  as  the  paramount  reason  for  determining  now  to  will 
with  the  greatest  energy. 

Cultivate  the  Mood  of  Energy. 

4.  Fickleness  of  Will.     In  this  case  the  man  is  per- 
sistent so  far  as  he  goes,  but  he  never  goes  far  in  any 
one  direction.     In   certain   main   or  underlying  lines  of 
activity  he  may  show  great  apparent  steadfastness,  as  in 
pursuing  the  means  of  a  livelihood,  but  these  lines  are 
necessitated  and  automatic  or  habitual,  not  really  the  sub- 
jects of  his  Volitions.     There  are  those,  too,  who  exhibit 
not  even  the  dumb  adherence  of  labor,  but  fly  from  scheme 
to  scheme,  whether  main  or  incidental,  as  birds  fly  from 
tree  to  tree,  with  no  long-continued  purpose,  during  the 
whole  course  of  life.     In  this  class,  the  Will  is  subject  to 
every  new  impulse. 

Cure:  The  cautious  beginning;  the  resolute  pur- 
suit of  the  undertaking  to  the  end.  Minds  thus  afflicted 
should  learn  to  attend  to  one  thing  at  a  time,  not  in  the 
sense  that  only  a  single  iron  should  be  kept  in  the  fire, 
but  that  the  iron  should  not  be  put  there  without  due  delib- 
eration, and  that  once  in,  it  should  receive  undivided  atten- 
tion so  long  as  required  by  the  end  in  view.  Generally 
speaking,  every  supposed  reason  for  a  change  of  action 
should  be  made  a  determining  reason  for  not  changing. 
The  extra  schemes  need  not  be  given  up ;  it  is  not  neces- 
sary for  any  person  to  settle  down  to  the  mere  drudgery 
of  existence;  but,  while  following  the  course  of  bread- 
winning,  the  mind  should  determine,  resolve,  SWEAR,  to 
work  each  theory  or  scheme  to  the  end  thereof. 

Cultivate  the  Mood  of  Continuity. 

5.  Want  of  Perseverance.     There  is  a  marked  differ- 
ence between  this  condition  of  Will  and  that  of  fickleness. 


52  Diseases  of  the    Will. 

Will  is  fickle  because  it  yields  to  sudden  or  new  impulses. 
Want  of  perseverance  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Will 
wears  out  in  any  given  direction.  It  then  becomes  like  a 
tired  muscle  ;  the  mind  refuses  or  fails  to  volitionate 
with  reference  to  an  old  purpose.  Its  characteristic 
phrase  is,  "  I  am  tired  of  the  thing,"  or  "  I  can 't  hold  out 
in  the  effort."  Resolution  has  simply  run  down  ;  the  Will 
has  become  exhausted. 

Cure :  The  resolution  to  refrain  from  yielding  per- 
manently to  such  momentary  exhaustion ;  patience  with 
the  mind's  present  inertia ;  vigorous  search,  carried  on 
round-about,  for  new  points  of  view  and  new  interest.  The 
saying,  "  I  am  tired  of  it,"  indicates  simply  a  temporary 
lack  of  interest ;  willed  interest  has  failed  ;  but  a  new  view 
or  another  mental  attitude  may  inspire  spontaneous  inter- 
est ;  hence,  the  matter  should  be  held  over  until  the  search 
for  new  interest  has  awakened  a  spontaneous  action  of 
the  Will,  which  will  almost  invariably  follow.  This  cure 
is  infallible ;  but  it  is  by  no  means  easy. 

Cultivate  the  Moods  of  Understanding,  Reason  and 
Continuity. 

6.  The  Explosive  Will.  Any  explosion  indicates 
want  of  equilibrium.  Great  temper,  unpremeditated 
crime,  volcanic  Volitions,  are  sudden  releases  of  energy 
revealing  an  overcharged  or  unbalanced  nervous  tone. 
With  some  men  power  is  always  in  what  may  be  called  a 
chemico-psychical  state  of  instability.  The  Will  leaps  to 
its  decisions  like  an  animal  upon  its  prey,  or  rushes  into 
action  like  a  torrent  from  a  broken  reservoir  of  water. 
There  are  exigencies  of  life  which  demand  such  eruptive 
outgoes  of  Volition,  but  they  are  rare ;  and  if  this  kind 
of  Will  is  characteristic,  it  surely  indicates  want  of  self- 
control.  The  true  Will  is  a  constitutional  monarch,  and 


As  is  the  Mind,  so  is  the    Will.  53 

is  never  ruled  by  mob  influences  or  despotic  motives. 
The  Will  must  control  itself,  or  it  is  unfit  to  reign.  It 
may  decide  quickly  and  irresistibly,  but  without  violent 
loosing  of  its  powers.  Ordinarily  all  violence  signifies 
weakness. 

Cure:  A  healthy  tone  of  the  individuality;  calm- 
ness cultivated,  so  as  to  be  maintainable  in  the  direst 
extremity  of  feeling;  a  forecasting  and  vivid  realization 
of  .the  reaction,  sure  to  follow,  and  which  will  equal  the 
•utburst ;  a  vigorous  repression,  at  the  moment  of  tempt- 
ation, of  all  feelings,  letting  them  out  in  some  unimportant 
side-issue  ;  a  determination  to  recall  past  experiences, 
and  to  profit  thereby. 

Cultivate  the  Mood  of  Reason  and  Righteousness. 

7.  Obstinacy.  We  have  here  an  excess  of  Will  as 
set  upon  some  particular  act  or  state.  There  are  so-called 
cases  of  obstinacy  which  exhibit  a  curious  want  of  Will- 
power, but  true  obstinacy  is  firmness  of  Will  carried 
beyond  the  dictates  of  reason  or  right.  The  obstinate 
man  always  believes  himself  to  be  right  in  the  matter  at 
hand.  His  weakness  is  his  refusal  to  consider.  He 
is  willful,  not  because  he  is  perverse,  but  because  he 
does  not  perceive  the  need  for  further  investigation  ;  the 
case  is  with  him  all  settled,  and  it  is  rightly  settled ;  he 
alone  is  right,  all  others  are  obstinate  in  their  differ- 
ence or  their  opposition.  George  the  Third  and  Philip 
the  Second  take  first  rank  among  incarnations  of  obsti- 
nacy. 

Cure:  The  most  minute,  as  well  as  the  broadest, 
attention  to  reasons  for  or  against;  greater  weight  given 
the  judgment  of  others ;  the  spirit  of  concession  cultivated ; 
determination  to  swallow  pride  and  yield  to  wisdom. 


54  Diseases  of  the    Will. 

Cultivate  the  Spirit  of  Concession. 

8.  The  Headstrong  Will.     The  chief  characteristic 
of  this  disease  may  be  seen  in  the  expression,  "I  don't 
care."     With  neither  patience,  sentiment  nor  reason,  it 
rushes  the  man  on  to  a  given  act  or  a  line  of  conduct, 
unmindful  of  warning,  regardless  of  self-conviction.     It 
is  not  only  a  case  of  obstinacy,  but  of  heedlessness  as 
well.     It  is  the  Will  self-hypnotized  by  senseless  desire. 
Napoleon  on  the  way  to  Moscow  is  the  Headstrong  Will. 

Cure :  Cultivation  of  humility ;  review  of  past  ex- 
periences ;  resolute  heed  to  the  advice  of  others ;  elevation 
into  the  field  of  thought  of  deepest  personal  convictions ; 
slow,  crucifying  attention  to  opposing  motives  and  reasons. 

Cultivate  the  Mood  of  Reason. 

9.  Perversity.     The  perverse  Will  is  obstinate,  but 
peculiarly   set   in   wrong   directions.     The  Will   that   is 
obstinate   merely   may   be   fixed   by  wisdom    and   right 
(self-conceived),  but  perversity  of  Will   shows   itself  in 
twisting  the  dictates  of  both,  notwithstanding  the  mind's 
recognition  of  the  same.     Thousands  of  men   are  per- 
versely willful  when  they  fully  know  that  the  course  they 
are  pursuing  is  foolish  and  injurious.     The  Will  is  here 
strong,  but  it  is  used  in  a  manner  that  is  consciously 
wrong. 

Cure  :  Cultivation  of  memory  as  to  past  experiences, 
and  of  imagination  as  to  future ;  resolution  to  study  pre- 
vious consequences  and  to  profit  by  them ;  determinatiom 
to  force  attention  upon  the  opinions  of  others ;  persistent 
and  candid  examination  of  one's  own  character  and  of 
the  basic  principles  of  human  conduct  —  which  are  few 
in  number  and  easily  mastered  and  committed  to  memory ; 
a  condition  of  mind  open  to  conriction  kept  steadily 


As  is  the  Mind,  so  is  the    Will.  55 

before  thought ;  each  matter  thought  out,  step  by  step, 
mere  wish,  as  much  as  possible,  being  put  out  of  the  way, 
and  the  question,  What  is  right  or  best  ?  substituted ; 
willingness  held  fast  to  give  up  when  convinced. 

As  an  assistance,  the  mind  should  change  its  point 
of  view,  get  into  a  new  atmosphere  of  life,  and  bring 
about  other  physical  conditions. 

Cultivate  the  Moods  of  Reason  and  Righteousness. 

i  o.  In  general,  the  Will  may  be  said  to  be  diseased 
when  the  mind  cannot  patiently  attend ;  when  the  mind 
cannot  clearly  and  persistently  exercise  memory  ;  when 
the  mind  cannot  clearly  and  persistently  exercise  the 
imagination ;  when  the  mind  cannot  clearly  and  per- 
sistently exercise  the  powers  of  reasoning  ;  when  the  mind 
will  not  call  up,  and  reason  in  regard  to,  great  moral 
principles.  Because  of  these  failures  arise  weakness, 
indecision,  fickleness,  want  of  perseverance,  violence, 
obstinacy,  headstrong  willfulness  and  perversity. 

Cure :  Resolute  cultivation  of  the  willing-mood,  and 
faithful  observance  of  all  exercises  suggested  in  Part  III. 


BE   MASTER. 


Be  master!     Of  thy  work: 

Mayhap  "'twill  irk 

Or  nerve  or  bone 

To  capture  crown  and  thrones 

Still,  —  master  be 

Splendidly  / 

Be  master  /     Of  thy  place  : 

In  sooth,  the  case 

Must  test  thy  soul  — 

Ne'er  weakling  wins  the  goal; 

Still,  —  bankrupt  pa 

Lord  "  Power'"  to  know. 

Be  master  !     Of  one  art : 
''Twill  strain  thy  heart 
And  drain  life's  best 
To  prove  this  kingly  quest  ; 
Still,  —  court  tJie  dream  — 
Stand  tkou  supreme  / 


CHAPTER  V. 

TRAINING  OF  THE  WILL. 

|  HE  great  thing  in  all  education  is  to  make 
our  nervous  system  our  ally  instead  of  our 
enemy. 

"  For  this  we  must  make  automatic  and  habitual,  as 
early  as  possible,  as  many  useful  actions  as  we  can,  and 
as  carefully  guard  against  growing  into  ways  that  are 
likely  to  be  disadvantageous. 

"  In  the  acquisition  of  a  new  habit,  or  the  leaving 
off  of  an  old  one,  we  must  take  care  to  launch  ourselves 
with  as  strong  and  decided  an  initiative  as  possible. 

"  Never  suffer  an  exception  to  occur  till  the  new 
habit  is  securely  rooted  in  your  life. 

"  Seize  the  very  first  possible  opportunity  to  act 
on  every  resolution  you  make,  and  on  every  emotional 
prompting  you  may  experience  in  the  direction  of  the 
habits  you  aspire  to  gain." — Professor  William  Janus. 

The  power  of  person  in  Will  may  be  trained  and 
developed,  as  has  been  suggested.  "  By  this  statement  is 
meant,  not  only  that  it  may  be  exercised  and  strength- 
ened by  the  various  agencies  of  command,  encourage- 
ment, and  instruction  "  in  the  school-room,  but  that  ability 
to  originate  a  purposeful  action,  and  to  continue  a  series 
of  actions  with  an  end  in  view,  may  be  cultivated  and 
disciplined  by  personal  attention  thereto,  and  by  specific 
exercises  undertaken  by  the  individual.  The  need  of 


58  Training  of  the    Will. 

such  development  and  training  is  evident  from  the  follow- 
ing facts : 

"  Not  unfrequently  a  strong  volitional  power  origin- 
ally exists,  but  lies  dormant  for  want  of  being  called  into 
exercise,  and  here  it  is  that  judicious  training  can  work 
its  greatest  wonders." 

In  many  persons  Will-power  is  confessedly  weak, 
life  being  very  largely,  so  to  speak,  automatic.  And  in 
multitudes  the  Will  exhibits  the  disorders  mentioned  in 
the  chapter  on  "  Diseases  of  the  Will." 

It  is  singular  that  so  little  would  seem  to  have  been 
written  on  this  important  subject,  and  that  the  training  of 
the  Will  should  now  receive,  as  it  does,  such  scant  atten- 
tion in  modern  educational  methods.  In  works  on  psy- 
chology and  education,  paragraphs  may  be  found  here  and 
there  indicating  the  importance  of  Will-training,  but  they 
are  curiously  deficient  in  suggestions  of  methods  referring 
the  matter  to  personal  effort. 

"  The  education  of  the  Will  is  really  of  far  greater 
importance,  as  shaping  the  destiny  of  the  individual,  than 
that  of  the  intellect.  Theory  and  doctrine,  and  inculca- 
tion of  laws  and  propositions,  will  never  of  themselves 
lead  to  the  uniform  habit  of  right  action.  It  is  by  doing, 
that  we  learn  to  do ;  by  overcoming,  that  we  learn  to 
overcome;  by  obeying  reason  and  conscience,  that  we 
learn  to  obey ;  and  every  right  action  which  we  cause  to 
spring  out  of  pure  principles,  whether  by  authority,  pre- 
cept or  example,  will  have  a  greater  weight  in  the  forma- 
tion of  character  than  all  the  theory  in  the  world." 

Education  of  the  mind's  powers  should  not  be  left 
to  hap-hazard  methods.  If  the  end  of  education  is  the 
evolution  of  these  powers,  methods  of  the  direct  gymna- 
sium order  are  in  demand.  And,  as  all  mental  facultie* 
are  mutual  in  interaction,  any  scientific  method  whick 


"  The    Will  Grows  by  Exercise"  59 

seeks,  by  specific  gymnasium  exercises,  the  development 
of  one  faculty,  must  result  in  cultivation  of  others,  whether 
immediately  or  remotely  related  thereto. 

PRINCIPLES  IN  WILL-TRAINING. 

1.  Any   direct   effort   to    cultivate   the   perceptive 
powers  must  affect  the  growth  of  memory,  imagination 
and  reason. 

2.  Any  direct  effort  to  cultivate  the  memory  must 
affect  the  growth  of  the  perceptive  powers,  imagination 
and  reason. 

3.  Any  direct  effort  to   cultivate   the   imagination 
must  affect  the  growth  of  the  perceptive  powers,  memory 
and  reason. 

4.  Any  direct    effort    to    cultivate   the   reasoning 
powers  must  affect  the  perceptive  powers,  memory  and 
imagination. 

5.  Any  direct  effort  to  cultivate  the  moral  faculties 
must  affect  the  growth  of  the  perceptive  powers,  memory, 
imagination  and  reason. 

6.  And  any  direct  effort  to  cultivate  the  perceptive 
powers,  memory,  imagination,  reasoning  or  moral  faculties 
must  affect  the  growth  of  the  Will. 

Yet  the  application  of  definite  and  scientific  methods 
to  the  discipline  and  growth  of  the  perceptive  powers, 
the  imagination,  the  memory  and  the  reason  seems  to  be 
largely  wanting  in  all  the  schools. 

In  what  school  to-day  are  classes  formed  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  power  of  observation  ?  Where  is  scientific 
attention  given  to  the  cultivation  of  the  imagination? 
What  college  schedules  any  definite  number  of  hours  to 
the  strengthening  and  training  of  the  memory?  Prob- 
ably nowhere  in  the  world  are  there  any  specific  effort* 
made  to  increase  and  train  the  power  of  the  Will 


60  Training  of  the    Will. 

It  is  the  claim  of  the  present  work  that  the  Will  may 
be  made  stronger  by  the  employment  of  proper  methods. 
And  this,  (a)  as  a  static  power  through  deliberated  and 
intelligent  exercises ;  (£)  as  a  dynamic  energy  continuing 
through  a  series  of  acts  by  deliberate  and  intelligent 
determination  that  such  shall  be  the  case. 

CULTIVATION  OF  THE  WILL  MAY  BB  ACCOMPLISHED: 

First,  by  systematic  exercises  which  shall  tend  to 
strengthen  it  as  a  faculty. 

Activity  of  the  brain  reacts  upon  the  particular  fac- 
ulty engaged,  —  to  speak  more  specially,  upon  the  partic- 
ular brain  element  engaged,  —  modifying  it  in  some 
unknown  way,  and  bringing  about  a  subsequent  " physi- 
ologicaldisposition  "  to  act  in  a  particular  manner. 

Thus,  musicians  acquire  enormous  facility  in  the  use 
of  hands  and  fingers.  So,  people  who  have  lost  their 
sight  are  able  to  picture  visible  objects  independently  of 
external  stimulation,  having  acquired  "  a  disposition  so  to 
act  through  previous  exercises  under  external  stimulation." 

As  the  seat  of  the  Will  is  the  whole  person,  so  the 
exercise  of  willing  brings  about  its  own  physiological 
disposition.  "  The  different  parts  of  the  brain  which  are 
exercised  together,  acquire  in  some  way  a  disposition  to 
conjoint  action  along  lines  of  '  least  resistance,'  that  are 
gradually  formed  for  nervous  action  by  the  repeated  flow 
of  nerve-energy  in  certain  definite  directions." 

"  Lines  of  least  resistance  "  may  be  formed  by  con- 
stant action  of  mind  in  willing,  in  certain  ways  and  for 
certain  ends. 

"  The  Cerebrum  of  man  grows  to  the  modes  of 
thought  in  which  it  is  habitually  exercised." 

But  the  development  of  Will  not  only  involves  estab- 
lishment of  facility  along  easiest  channels,  but  an  increase 


"  The    Will  Grows  by  Exercise"          61 

in  power  within  the  person  as  determining  to  choose 
motives  and  to  put  forth  Volitions.  The  willing-act  be- 
comes more  facile,  and  it  also  becomes  stronger.  Increase 
of  power  is  not  relative  alone  ;  it  is  equally  positive. 

"  The  Will  grows  by  exercise.  Each  form  of  its 
activity  becomes  more  perfect  by  practice.  And  the  lower 
forms  of  exercise  in  bodily  movement  prepare  the  way,  t* 
some  extent  at  least,  for  the  higher  exercises" 

So  it  is  that  habits  may  be  voluntarily  or  uncon- 
sciously formed,  and  old  habits  may  be  voluntarily  aban- 
doned. All  such  results  involve  the  Will.  Their  attain- 
ment does  not  weaken  Will,  but  rather  strengthens  its 
application  to  general  conduct.  "  It  is  well  for  our 
actions  to  grow  habituated  to  a  considerable  extent.  .  .  . 
In  this  way  nerve-energy  is  economized  and  the  powers 
of  the  mind  are  left  free  for  other  matters.  ...  At  the 
same  time  .  .  .  much  of  our  life  consists  in  modifying  our 
movements  and  adapting  them  to  new  circumstances. 
The  growth  of  Will  implies  thus  a  two-fold  process :  (a) 
the  deepening  of  particular  aptitudes  and  tendencies, 
that  is,  the  fixing  of  oft-repeated  action  in  a  definite  and 
unvarying  form ;  (£)  the  widening  of  these  active  capa- 
bilities by  a  constant  variation  of  old  actions,  by  new 
adaptations,  or  special  combinations  suited  to  the  particu- 
lar circumstances  of  the  time." 

Secondly,  the  Will  may  be  cultivated  by  general  im- 
provement of  the  mind  as  a  whole,  giving  it  greater  force 
while  putting  forth  Volitions,  and  larger  continuity  in  a 
series  of  Volitions  having  an  end  in  view,  because  of 
increased  mental  pow*./  ".nd  wiser  treatment  of  various 
motives  ;  and  this  especially  if,  in  all  intellectual  growth, 
the  purpose  of  stronger  Will-power  be  kept  constantly  in 
mind. 

"  The  Will  can  never  originate  any  form  of  mental 


62  Training   of  the    Will. 

activity."  But  it  can  select  among  the  objects  of  con- 
sciousness, and  in  thus  utilizing  the  powers  of  mind  can 
improve  the  latter.  Its  efforts  to  do  so  will  invariably 
improve  itself :  by  cultivating  attention,  by  shutting  out 
subjects  of  thought,  by  developing  natural  gifts,  by  insti- 
tuting correct  habits  of  thinking  and  of  living. 

Exercises  for  a  general  development  of  mind  must 
present  a  variety  of  motives  for  consideration  with  a  view 
to  the  act  of  willing,  both  for  the  formation  of  aptitudes, 
and  for  the  symmetrical  development  of  the  Will  as  a 
function.  This  involves  :  — 

1 .  The  perceptive  faculties,  which  may  be  quickened, 
thus  increasing  the  vividness  of   motives    and  inducing 
Volitions ; 

2.  The  emotions,  the  intelligent  cultivation  of  which 
widens  the  range  of   motives  and  imparts  to  the   mind 
facility,  and  force  in  selection  of  reasons  for  action  ; 

3.  The  imagination,  which  represents,  according  to 
its  strength  and  scope,  various  remote  and  contingent,  as 
well  as  immediate,  reasons  for  choice   of   motives,  and 
adherence  to  the  same ; 

4.  The  deliberative  faculty,  which  requires  cultiva- 
tion in  order  adequately  to  weigh  the  force  and  value  of 
motives ; 

5.  The  intuitive  faculty,  which,  without  being  able  to 
furnish  its  reasons,  frequently  impels  or  prohibits  choice, 
and  may  wisely  be  cultivated  by  intelligent  obedience,  but 
needs  strict  and  constant  attention  to  prevent  the  reign  of 
impulse.     Thus,  women  are  wont  to  follow  intuitions  of 
expediency,  and  business  men  are  often  guided  by  a  similar 
"feeling "  or  "judgment."     So,  also,  Socrates  possessed 
what  he  called  his  "  Daimonion,"  an  inner  voice  which 
forbade  certain  actions,  but  never  affirmatively  advised  an 
act  or  a  course  of  conduct.     Such  "  intuitions  "  may  be 


"  The    Will  Grows  by  Exercise"  63 

searched  out  and  examined  for  the  underlying  reasons, 
and  this  effort  will  usually  bring  to  light  some  hidden 
cause  for  the  impulse  to  act  or  refrain  from  action. 

Thirdly,  the  Will  may  be  cultivated  by  development 
of  the  moral  character. 

"  The  greatest  man,"  said  Seneca,  "  is  he  who  chooses 
right  with  the  most  invincible  determination." 

Self-development  involves  the  moral  quality  and 
symmetry  of  the  soul  as  sustaining  relations  to  its  fellows 
and  to  Deity.  The  cultivation  of  Will  in  its  highest 
values,  therefore,  depends  upon  its  exercise  in  a  moral 
sense.  This  involves  every  conscious  mental  function  in 
action  with  reference  to  a  moral  end.  A  developed  moral 
consciousness  modifies  consideration  of  motives  through 
perception,  memory,  imagination,  reason  and  "  intuition," 
and  increases  the  force  and  continuity  of  that  act  of  the 
mind  by  which  it  constitutes  any  motive  a  Sufficient 
Reason. 

Moral  development  cultivates  the   Will :  — 

ist,  by  bringing  to  the  fore  truest  motives  and  goals 
in  the  conduct  of  life  ; 

2dly,  by  presenting  in  mind  for  its  consideration  new 
motives,  and  motives  of  an  unfamiliar  nature  ; 

jdly,  by  enabling  self  to  deliberate  with  greater  clear- 
ness, forethought  and  wisdom  among  all  possible  motives 
for  action ; 

4thly,  by  prohibiting  certain  acts  or  lines  of  conduct, 
and  by  destroying  injurious  habits  ; 

Sthly,  by  instituting  self-control  of  the  highest  order ; 

6thly,  by  inspiring  a  constant  search  for  truth,  and 
obedience  thereto  ; 

"fthly,  by  inciting  to  noblest  planes  of  being  and 
holding  before  consciousness  the  great  alternatives  of 
human  destiny  for  ultimate  good  or  evil. 


64  Training  of  the    Will. 

Luther  said  to  Erasmus :  "  You  desire  to  walk  upon 
eggs  without  crushing  them."  The  latter  replied:  "I 
will  not  be  unfaithful  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  at  least  sc 
far  as  the  age  will  permit  me."  An  untruthful  Will  in  a 
scholar's  brain. 

"I  will  go  to  Worms,"  shouted  Luther,  "though 
devils  were  combined  against  me  as  thick  as  the  tiles 
upon  the  housetops  ! "  A  Will  which  might  have  become 
disordered  or  illy-developed  but  for  the  mighty  moral 
character  of  the  reformer. 

All  human  powers  are  interdependent  and  interactive. 
What  has  righteousness  to  do  with  Will-power  ?  Answer  : 
What  has  Will-power  to  do  with  righteousness?  Will 
makes  for  righteousness  ;  righteousness  makes  for  Will. 

A  morally  growing  life  establishes  "  lines  of  least 
resistance,"  with  consequent  aptitudes  and  habits  which 
more  or  less  react  upon  personal  power  to  will.  Above 
all,  at  least  in  this  connection,  it  widens  the  field  of 
active  capabilities  and  develops  new  adaptations  and 
tendencies  by  presenting  larger  and  more  varied  worlds 
of  motive  and  conduct,  with  an  ultimate  end  having 
reference  to  the  individual  and  his  relations  to  others, 
which  end  always  appeals  to  the  Will,  calling  it  into 
activity,  and  so  adding  to  its  power. 

The  same  truth  may  be  reached  from  a  material  start- 
ing-point. 

The  basis  of  human  life  is  physical.  The  original 
ground  of  impulse  in  the  volitional  nature  deals  with 
sense-impressions.  In  a  healthy  body  these  impressions 
are  normal,  that  is,  true.  When  both  body  and  mind  are 
in  a  healthy  condition,  that  is  to  say,  are  normal  and  true, 
they  will  invariably  co-operate,  the  one  with  the  other. 

Instinct  co-ordinates  with  vital  chemistry  in  normal 
animal  life.  Such  life  is  true ;  it  is  a  full  realization  of 


"  The    Will  Grows  by  Exercise"          65 

itself ;  it  exhibits  truth ;  hence  the  instincts  are  right,  be- 
cause the  physical  basis  is  right  and  co-operates  with 
animal  intelligence.  Instinct  and  animal  intelligence  in 
turn  co-operate  with  the  physical  nature  to  maintain  its 
normality  or  truth. 

In  man,  mind  ought  to  co-ordinate  similarly  with  his 
physical  life.  Conversely,  the  physical  life  ought  to  co- 
ordinate with  mind.  Physical  health  signifies  right,  that 
is,  truthful,  physical  sensations.  And  truthful,  that  is, 
normal,  physical  sensations  tend  always  to  produce  right 
or  normal  action  of  mind,  just  as  normal  or  right  action 
of  mind  tends  to  produce  good  health  —  truthful  physical 
sensations.  When  sound  mind  co-operates  with  correct 
sense-impressions,  the  result  is  health,  normality,  truth  in 
the  whole  man. 

Mind  is  sensation  plus  perception,  plus  Will,  plus 
memory,  plus  imagination,  plus  reason,  plus  conscious- 
ness —  self-consciousness,  sub-consciousness,  moral  con- 
sciousness. 

If  mind  is  deficient  in  any  of  these  respects  the  per- 
sonality is  not  normal.  The  end  of  each  function  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  exhibition  of  truth ;  percep- 
tion of  things  as  they  are,  memory  of  facts  as  they  have 
existed,  imagination  of  reality  in  true  relations,  conclu- 
sions correctly  deduced  from  correct  premises  and  correct 
observation,  convictions  based  in  the  actual  moral  nature 
of  things,  sane  ideas  of  self,  vigorous  action  of  sub-con- 
sciousness, habituating  in  activities  conducive  to  self- 
interest,  working  of  objective  consciousness  for  mental 
freedom.  Then  there  is  a  perfect  co-ordination  among  all 
the  elements  of  human  nature  and  character.  This  co- 
ordination produces,  and  it  is,  health,  normality,  truth. 

Out  of  such  a  truth-condition  of  being  conies  always 
the  highest  form  of  Will-power.  The  Will  is  an  exhibition 


66  Training   of  the    Will. 

of  the  character,  the  individual  constitution.  Righteous- 
ness —  which  is  right-wiseness  toward  all  powers  and  all 
realities  —  becomes,  then,  the  sole  true  developer  and 
trainer  of  the  human  Will.  The  unrighteous  mind  is  sure 
to  exhibit  disease  or  disorder  of  the  Will,  because  the  act 
of  Will,  as  already  seen,  involves  presentation  of  motives, 
deliberation  among  the  same,  constitution  of  Sufficient 
Reason,  putting  forth  of  the  volitional  act,  and  mental  or 
bodily  obedience  thereto ;  and  the  mind  which  lacks  in 
right-wiseness  cannot  properly  deliberate  among  motives, 
will  miss  from  its  field  the  best  motives,  and  thus  cannot 
wisely  constitute  Sufficient  Reason.  Hence,  such  inability 
continuing,  exercise  of  Will  must  surely  establish  habits 
of  weak  or  disordered  Volition,  as  well  as  Volitions  put 
forth  in  wrong  directions,  so  that  in  time  all  disorders 
must  become  chronic  and  settle  into  types  of  Will  that 
fail  to  manifest  normality  and  truth. 

Observe :  The  law-abiding  physical  life  is  absolutely 
best ;  all  below  weakens  Will.  The  truth-showing  mental 
life  is  absolutely  best ;  all  below  disorganizes  the  Will. 
The  righteous  moral  life  is  absolutely  best;  all  below 
destroys  the  dynamic  power  of  Will. 

Will-power  issuing  from  good  physical,  mental  and 
moral  health,  wherein  right  co-ordination  obtains,  gives  to 
life's  endeavors  resistless  force,  and  finds  training  in  all 
intelligent  activity.  The  more  it  toils,  the  more  it  resolves. 
No  obstacle  can  deter  it,  no  defeat  dismay. 

Said  John  Ledyard,  the  Explorer:  "  My  distresses 
have  been  greater  than  I  have  owned,  or  will  own,  to  any 
man.  I  have  known  hunger  and  nakedness  to  the  utmost 
extremity  of  human  suffering ;  I  have  known  what  it  is  to 
have  food  given  me  as  charity  to  a  madman ;  and  I  have 
at  times  been  obliged  to  shelter  myself  under  the  miseries 
of  that  character  to  avoid  a  heavier  calamity.  Such  evils 


"  The    Will  Grows  by  Exercise"          67 

are  terrible  to  bear,  but  they  have  never  yet  had  the  power 
to  turn  me  from  my  purpose."  But  observe  :  — 

"  He  is  spoken  of  as  a  man  of  iron  Will,  sure  to  make 
his  way,  to  carry  his  point,  and  he  thinks  himself  a  man 
of  strong  Will.  He  is  only  an  egotist,  morally  unable  to 
resist,  or  even  to  hesitate  at,  any  evil  whereby  his  selfish 
aim  is  assured." 

"  Energy,  without  integrity  and  a  soul  of  goodness, 
may  only  represent  the  embodied  principle  of  evil.  It  is 
observed  by  Novalis,  in  his  '  Thoughts  on  Morals,'  that 
the  ideal  of  moral  perfection  has  no  more  dangerous  rival 
to  contend  with  than  the  ideal  of  the  highest  strength  and 
the  most  energetic  life,  the  maximum  of  the  barbarian  — 
which  needs  only  a  due  admixture  of  pride,  ambition,  and 
selfishness,  to  be  a  perfect  ideal  of  the  devil." 

"  The  powers  of  the  human  intellect,"  says  Professor 
E.  S.  Creasy  in  "  Fifteen  Decisive  Battles,"  "  are  rarely 
more  strongly  displayed  than  they  are  in  the  commander 
who  regulates,  arrays,  and  wields  at  his  Will  these  masses 
of  armed  disputants  (in  battle)  ;  who,  cool,  yet  daring  in 
the  midst  of  peril,  reflects  on  all  and  provides  for  all, 
ever  ready  with  fresh  resources  and  designs,  as  the  vicis- 
situdes of  the  storm  of  slaughter  require.  But  these  qual- 
ities, however  high  they  may  appear,  are  to  be  found  in 
the  basest  as  well  as  the  noblest  of  mankind.  Catiline 
was  as  brave  a  soldier  as  Leonidas,  and  a  much  better 
officer.  Alva  surpassed  the  Prince  of  Orange  in  the  field ; 
and  Suwarrow  was  the  military  superior  of  Kosciusco. 
To  adopt  the  emphatic  words  of  Byron  : 

"  '  'T  is  the  cause  makes  all, 
Degrades  or  hallows  courage  in  its  fall.' " 

The  law  of  the  right  Will  is  the  law  of  the  all-round 
symmetrical  character. 


HEED  NOT  THY  MOODS. 


When  tyrant  moods  their  meshes  gossamer, 
Belied  as  steely  bonds  no  slave  may  rend, 
Fling  o'er  thy  spirit,  oh,  my  friend, 

And  ill  portend  where  dreams  all  goods  aver, 

Call  thou  Lord  Will :  confess,  and  yet  demur ; 
Moods  fickle  from  the  phantom  world  ascend, 
And  ever  to  that  Master-Servant  bend. 

Shall  Will  on  films  a  cable's  strength  confer  ? 

The  clamorous  fiesh  breeds  fantasies  unreal ; 

E'en  psychic  states  deceive  th1  abiding  soul. 
The  things  which  seem,  th'  eternal  things  conceal. 

And  life  is  this:  to  find  the  deeper  whole, 
Thy  changeless  self,  the  heart  of  being's   wheel, 
And  in  God's  silence  make  all  woe  thy  weal. 

—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TRAINING  OF  THE  WILL,  CONTINUED  :  A  STUDY  OF  MOODS. 

HE  man  who  is  perpetually  hesitating  which 
of  two  things  he  will  do  first  will  do  neither. 
The  man  who  resolves,  but  suffers  his  reso- 
lution to  be  changed  by  the  first  counter-suggestion  of  a 
friend  —  who  fluctuates  from  opinion  to  opinion,  from 
plan  to  plan,  and  veers  like  a  weather-cock  to  every  point 
of  the  compass,  with  every  breath  of  caprice  that  blows  — 
can  never  accomplish  anything  real  or  useful.  It  is  only 
the  man  who  carries  into  his  pursuits  that  great  quality 
which  Lucan  ascribes  to  Caesar,  nescia  virtus  stare  loco  ; — 
who  first  consults  wisely,  then  resolves  firmly,  and  then 
executes  his  purpose  with  inflexible  perseverance,  undis- 
mayed by  those  petty  difficulties  which  daunt  a  weaker 
spirit  —  that  can  advance  to  eminence  in  any  line." — 
William  Wirt. 

Man's  conscious  life  is  largely  a  matter  of  mood  :  — 
of  mind,  heart,  soul,  spirit — a  temporary  muse  inspiring 
the  individual  to  be  or  to  do  in  certain  ways.  A  mood  is 
a  disposition  or  humor,  a  morbid  condition  of  mind,  a 
heat  of  anger,  a  kind  of  zeal,  a  capricious  state  of  feeling. 

"  The  weaker  emotive  states,"  says  Titchener  in 
"An  Outline  of  Psychology,"  "which  persist  for  some 
time  together,  are  termed  moods ;  the  stronger,  which  ex- 
haust the  organism  in  a  comparatively  short  time,  are 
called  passions.  Thus  the  mood  of  cheerfulness  repre- 
sents the  emotion  of  joy  ;  the  mood  of  depression  that  of 


70  A  Study  of  Moods. 

sorrow.  Like  and  dislike  have  the  moods  of  content  and 
discontent ;  sympathy  and  antipathy,  those  of  kindliness 
and  sulkiness ;  attraction  and  repulsion,  those  of  'charm ' 
and  tedium.  The  mood  of  care  is  anxiety  ;  the  mood  of 
melancholy,  gloom.  The  mood  of  hatred  is  'not  getting 
on  with'  a  person ;  the  mood  of  exasperation  is  chagrin." 
The  above  are  merely  examples  of  a  very  familiar 
subject.  Many  of  our  moods  are  good  and  indispensable 
to  our  best  work,  as,  the  mood  of  labor,  the  mood  for  cre- 
ation, the  mood  of  hopefulness,  the  mood  of  mastery,  and 
so  on.  Every  evil  mood  may  be  banished  from  mind  and 
life.  The  method  is  simply  that  of  persistent  determina- 
tion to  conquer  and  build  up  only  such  moods  as  stand 
for  personal  welfare.  Your  undesirable  moods  will  vanish 
if  you  multiply  yourself  faithfully  into  the  pages  of  this 
book.  The  end  requires  work,  to  be  sure,  but,  as  Orison 
Swett  Marden  remarks  in  "  Every  Man  a  King,"  "  Train- 
ing under  pressure  is  the  finest  discipline  in  the  world. 
You  know  what  is  right  and  what  you  ought  to  do,  even 
when  you  do  not  feel  like  doing  it.  This  is  the  time  to 
get  a  firm  grip  on  yourself,  to  hold  yourself  steadily  to 
your  task,  no  matter  how  hard  or  disagreeable  it  may  be. 
Keep  up  this  rigid  discipline  day  after  day  and  week  after 
week,  and  you  will  soon  learn  the  art  of  arts  —  perfect 
self-mastery." 

SUMMARY  OF  MOODS. 

Moods  are,  therefore  —  First,  special  states  of  mental 
person  in  general ;  secondly,  states  of  reference  to  the  action 
of  the  Will.  Their  influence  never  ceases  during  con- 
sciousness. As  the  individual  is  servant  or  master  of  his 
moods,  he  is  servant  or  master  of  himself.  The  sum-total 
of  moods  exhibits  the  conscious  and  the  sub-conscious 
man.  Moods  manifest  in  the  objective  man,  but  they 


"Know   Thyself."  71 

originate,  in  part  at  least,  in  that  deeper  self  of  which  so 
little  is  directly  known  —  the  sub-conscious. 

No  error  is  greater  than  that  theory  which  makes 
mind  the  product  of  matter.  The  theory  is  a  "  fad  "  and 
will  soon  pass  away.  An  equal  error  is  seen  in  the  notion 
that  the  man's  self  is  an  entity  absolutely  separate  as  an 
existence  from  the  body.  The  man  is  spirit  bound  up  in 
body ;  both  entities  are  real,  but  exist  and  manifest  the 
one  through  the  other.  What  the  connection  is  between 
body  and  spirit  is  a  fathomless  mystery  ;  but  that  connec- 
tion stands  for  the  mutual  dependence  of  the  physical  and 
the  immaterial  in  man.  There  is  as  much  evidence  of 
the  reality  of  the  immaterial  inner  ego  as  of  the  existence 
of  an  objective  universe.  And  the  demonstration  of  the 
physical  man  as  an  actual  entity  is  just  as  sure  as  the 
demonstration  of  the  inner  ego.  All  evidences  go  to 
show  mutual  dependence,  both  for  existence  and  for  man- 
ifestation, of  body  and  spirit. 

These  evidences  cover  —  the  influence  of  mind  over 
body  ;  the  influence  of  body  over  mind  (over  mind  directly 
and  over  mind  through  bodily  states)  —  the  mind  affecting 
itself  intermediately  by  means  of  its  influence  upon  the 
body.  It  is  with  the  power  of  mind  on  the  body  and 
itself  that  the  present  chapter  deals. 

Let  it  be  understood,  this  book  has  nothing  to  do 
directly  with  any  so-called  "  science  of  healing,"  whether 
"  Christian  "  or  "  Mental,"  except  as  immediately  follow- 
ing. 

All  genuine  cases  of  healing  by  these  so-called  meth- 
ods are  results  of  "suggestion,"  either  by  self  or  by 
others,  by  means  of  a  great  law  as  yet  little  understood. 

"  There  are  but  two  really  distinct  fundamental 
phases  which  the  doctrine  of  metaphysical  healing  has 
assumed,  and  to  one  or  the  other  of  these  the  varying 


72  A  Study  of  Moods. 

special  claims  belong.  The  first  is  the  pure  metaphysical 
idealism  upon  which  the  original  '  Christian  Science '  is 
based — the  non-reality  of  the  material  world  and  sense- 
experience,  and  so  of  disease.  The  second  is  the  doctrine 
of  what  is  properly  called  '  Mental  Science,'  which  does 
not  ignore  the  reality  of  the  physical  world  nor  of  the 
body  and  its  sensations  in  their  normal  relations  to  that 
world,  but  is  based  upon  the  recognition  of  the  absolute 
supremacy  of  the  mind  over  them." 

"  Christian  Science  "  denies  the  material  world,  sense- 
experience,  disease,  and  evil  or  sin.  Herein  are  its  errors 
manifest.  To  deny,  yet  seek  to  cure,  disease,  to  deny, 
yet  seek  to  eliminate  sin,  disorganizes  a  normal  dealing 
with  life.  To  will  that  that  which  one  believes  or  strives 
to  believe  does  not  exist  shall  be  one  thing  or  another  as 
to  its  states,  is  to  dethrone  the  normal  Will.  The  Will 
volitionates  only  toward  that  which  is  believed  to  exist, 
never  toward  that  which  is  believed  to  be  non-existent. 
The  fact  that  body  yields  to  suggestion  in  genuine  cases 
of  healing,  may  not  show  that  body  exists,  but  it  does 
show  that  one  believes  it  exists.  The  belief  that  one 
believes  it  does  not  exist  is  pure  delusion.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  will  to  change  any  physical  condition  which  is 
really  believed  to  be  non-existent.  It  is  equally  impos- 
sible to  will  to  eliminate  sin  —  which  is  believed  to  be 
non-existent  —  and  to  take  on  holiness  —  the  absence,  for 
one  thing,  of  that  which  is  believed  to  have  no  existence, 
and  the  possession  of  those  moral  qualities,  for  a  second 
thing,  which  signify  the  shunning  of  that  which  is  believed 
to  have  no  existence.  In  all  this  we  have  the  willed  influ- 
ence of  mental  states  over  body  which  is  denied  and  over 
mental  states  that  are  believed  to  be  without  actuality- 
In  other  words,  the  Will,  a  power  given  to  man  to  guide 
him  through  realities,  not  fictitious  imaginations  fully 


"Know    Thyself."'  73 

understood  to  be  non-existent  as  facts,  is  here  dethroned 
as  a  normal  faculty. 

What  is  called  "  Mental  Science  "  asserts  the  reality 
of  matter,  body,  spirit,  disease  and  sin,  but  bases  its 
theories  upon  the  power  of  "  mind  over  matter."  Its 
error  consists  in  constructing  a  "  science  "  on  partial  data 
and  on  laws  which  are  but  imperfectly  understood,  and 
in  asserting  the  "absolute  supremacy"  of  "mind  over 
body."  The  Will  is  here  set  toward  a  claim  which  cannot 
be  substantiated  —  the  "  absolute  supremacy  "  of  "  mind 
over  body ; "  which,  indeed,  is  disproved,  unless  a  multi- 
tude of  facts  in  life  are  to  be  willed  out  of  the  field  of 
belief.  It  is  no  province  of  Will  to  will  a  disbelief  in 
plain  facts.  There  are  innumerable  instances  which  show 
that  the  "  supremacy  of  mind  over  body  "  is  not  absolute. 
Moreover,  the  Will  here  sets  itself  to  the  task  of  ignoring 
what  are  at  least  intermediate  agencies  for  assisting  per- 
son to  control  bodily  conditions.  It  may  be  that  the 
supposed  necessity  for  food  is  a  delusion,  but  the  normal 
person  at  least  employs  the  eating  of  food  as  an  inter- 
mediate means  for  exerting  its  influence  over  the  physical 
organism.  Medical  Science  may  be  no  true  science  —  as 
yet  — all  and  all  —  but  its  treatments  certainly  assist,  if 
in  no  other  way,  in  establishing  right  mental  conditions 
for  the  action  of  self  over  the  body.  Of  course  the  neces- 
sity for  foods  is  real.  A  genuine  medicine  is,  in  a  large 
sense,  a  food  —  "  whatever  sustains,  augments,  or  supplies 
nourishment  to  organic  bodies."  Some  foods  and  some 
medicines  are  false,  in  themselves,  or  in  particular  appli- 
cations. It  remains  for  the  normal  person  to  select  right 
foods  and  to  use  right  medicines  as  parts  of  the  present 
system  of  things,  with  the  influence  of  mental  states  sought 
and  cultivated  as  being  originated  and  maintained  inter- 
mediately through  the  employment  of  that  which  is  real 


74  -^  Study  of  Moods. 

in  itself  and  real  in  its  power  over  belief.  Medical  Sci- 
ence needs  to  become  less  empirical  and  materialistic, 
and  "  Mental  Science  "  needs  to  enlarge  its  field  by  recog- 
nition of  facts  and  the  medicinal  utility  of  nature.  We 
now  return  to  the  discussion  of  moods. 

DIVISION  OF  MOODS. 
I. 

First  General  Division  of  Moods.  Special  mental 
states  of  mind  in  general  which  exert  various  influences 
over  the  body. 

"A  process  set  up  anywhere  in  the  centres  reverber- 
ates everywhere,  and  in  some  way  or  other  affects  the 
organism  throughout,  making  its  activities  either  greater 
or  lesser." 

Sorrow  increases  the  flow  of  tears.  Anxiety  may 
induce  perspiration  or  the  opposite.  Intense  nervous 
anxiety  or  fear  in  a  public  speaker  sometimes  almost 
totally  stops  the  flow  of  saliva.  It  is  now  disclosed  that 
great  anger  poisons  the  blood.  Any  great  emotion  may 
increase  or  retard  the  circulation.  Exaltation  of  feeling 
or  thought  frequently  brings  about  insensibility  to  pain. 
Great  mental  depression  makes  latent  disorders  patent. 
A  surgical  operation  causes  some  spectators  to  faint,  and 
a  noisome  object  may  bring  on  vomiting.  By  fixing  the 
attention  upon  certain  parts  of  the  body  the  blood  may  be 
directed  to  those  parts.  Muscular  energy  is  increased  by 
violent  emotions,  and  is  sometimes  vastly  diminished,  and 
is  always  made  greater  by  an  exertion  of  the  Will.  The 
fury  of  the  madman  is  accompanied  by  superhuman 
strength.  Ideas  frequently  induce  actual  physical  sensa- 
tions, as  nausea  at  the  thought  of  disgusting  food,  or  the 
setting  of  the  teeth  "  on  edge  "  at  the  thought  of  saw- 
filing.  Worry  cultivates  dyspepsia.  Incessant  mental 


"Know   Thyself."  75 

activity  robs  the  body  of  assimilated  nourishment.  Dis- 
ease may  be  incurred  through  conditions  of  mind,  and  is 
often  warded  off  by  the  same  agency.  Cheerfulness  and 
hope  tend  to  tone  up  the  entire  system. 

Similarly  with  the  influence  of  states  of  person  over 
mental  activities.  Fear  quickens  some  intellects,  but  dulls 
others.  Many  persons  can  accomplish  large  things  only 
under  great  excitement,  while  with  others  excitement  para- 
lyzes the  powers.  Hate  blinds  all  mental  faculties  not 
immediately  engaged  in  its  gratification,  but  quickens  the 
latter.  Musicians,  public  speakers  and  exhibitors  are 
greatly  influenced  by  the  psychic  atmosphere  about  them. 
Interest  always  increases  the  perceptive  powers.  The 
mind's  ability  to  recall  past  scenes,  events  and  knowledge 
is  increased  by  a  clear  brain  and  a  healthy  tone  acted 
upon  by  some  pleasing  emotion.  The  imagination  is 
sometimes  obscured  or  confused  by  disease,  sometimes 
made  more  powerful  by  the  same,  and  is  always  rendered 
vigorous  and  facile  by  exalted  trains  of  thought.  The 
logical  faculties  are  swayed  by  the  passions,  and  dulled  or 
sharpened  as  the  mind  seems  sluggish  or  keen  in  other 
respects.  Consciousness  of  right  or  wrong  often  depends 
upon  the  mental  tone  of  the  individual. 

Such  illustrations  disclose  the  value  to  life  in  general 
of  an  intelligent  understanding  of  psychic  states.  And 
among  the  mind's  powers  the  Will  is  no  exception  to  the 
sway  of  its  various  moods.  These  considerations  make 
clear  the 

II. 

Second  Division  of  Moods.  Mental  states  having  direct 
reference  to  the  act  of  willing. 

The  Will  has  its  own  moods,  by  which  its  functions 
may  be  analyzed,  and  by  which  it  may  and  ought  to  be 
cultivated  and  made  to  regulate  itself  in  the  highest  man- 


76  A  Study  of  Moods. 

ner.  These  volitional  moods  are  of  importance  because 
they  are  creative  states  and  may  be  maintained,  thus  exer- 
cising the  Will  and  becoming  permanent  factors  in  the 
conduct  of  life.  They  indicate  person's  attitude  toward 
the  act  of  willing,  and  so  reveal,  now  the  individual  nature, 
now  the  individual  character.  Brought  into  definite  and 
abiding  thought,  they  will  always  assist  in  cultivating  both 
the  Will's  power  and  its  stability.  It  is  the  function  of 
Will  to  regulate  them.  Hence,  no  better  means  of  culti- 
vating and  training  the  Will  itself  can  be  devised  than  the 
deliberate  and  intelligent  control  of  volitional  moods. 
For  if  the  will  can  control  such  peculiar  mental  states,  a 
determination  to  do  so  must  increase  power  of  Will  and 
direct  it  into  its  legitimate  activities. 

MOODS  OF  WILL. 

The  Moods  of  Will  may  now  be  enumerated  as  follows  : 
I. 

The  Mood  of  Feeling,  or  Interest.  Feeling  may  be  de- 
fined as  any  pleasurable  or  painful  condition  of  the  person 
in  mind  or  body.  The  steps  from  such  condition  to  Voli- 
tion are  four :  a  mental  impression  or  object  of  attention 
brought  to  mind ;  a  feeling  with  regard  to  the  same  ;  a 
mode  of  mental  action,  or  attention  ;  and  the  Volition. 
The  degree  of  attention  sometimes  depends  upon  the 
Will,  but  more  frequently  upon  interest  in  the  object  or 
impression.  Interest  is  of  two  sorts,  spontaneous  and 
willed.  Spontaneous  interest  is  indifferent  to  the  quality 
of  the  feeling  involved  —  whether  pleasurable  or  painful ; 
a  toothache  receives  spontaneous  interest  as  truly  as  a 
good  dinner.  But  willed  interest,  or  acquired  attention, 
always  involves  the  idea  of  personal  pleasure,  at  least  the 
gratification  of  some  desire. 


"Know    Thyself:'  77 

The  Mood  of  Feeling  or  Interest  may  be  cultivated. 
One  ultimate  purpose  for  doing  so,  providing  constant 
gratification,  will  be  the  intelligent  increase  of  the  Mood 
itself,  and  through  that  increase,  of  the  mind's  steadfast 
power  of  Will.  In  all  large  living  this  Mood  of  Interest 
is  ever  present  and  powerful.  If  it  is  suffered  to  collapse 
here  and  there,  a  loss  of  Will  is  sure  to  follow.  The  sum- 
total  of  the  Will's  activities  depends  upon  the  sum-total 
of  its  acquired  interests.  Hence  spontaneous  interest 
should  be  utilized  for  the  maintenance  of  acquired,  and 
above  all  should  be  made  over  into  good  habits  of  living. 

As  a  guiding  rule  for  the  acquirement  of  such  arti- 
ficial interest  and  the  keeping  alive  of  feeling  with  "go  " 
in  it,  a  principle  of  Prof.  William  James  may  be  followed  : 

"Any  object  not  interesting  in  itself  may  become 
interesting  through  becoming  associated  with  an  object  in 
which  interest  already  exists.  The  two  associated  objects 
grow,  as  it  were,  together ;  the  interesting  portion  sheds 
its  quality  over  the  whole ;  and  thus  things  not  interesting 
in  their  own  right  borrow  an  interest  which  becomes  as 
real  and  as  strong  as  that  of  any  natively  interesting 
thing." 

If  such  a  principle  is  practically  and  persistently  car- 
ried out,  the  effort  will  invariably  cultivate  great  volitional 
power. 

II. 

The  Mood  of  Energy,  This  is  a  general  forceful  and 
determined  state  of  mind.  It  is  the  Mood  which  carries 
things  on.  It  may  act  swiftly  or  slowly,  depending  upon 
other  characteristics.  The  energetic  man  may  be  swift  in 
action  as  compared  to  the  bulk  of  his  mind,  while  slow  as 
compared  to  men  of  lighter  calibre.  Energy  may  exhibit 
on  the  surface  of  action,  or  it  may  hide  behind  an  unmoved 
exterior;  it  may  be  violent  in  its  manifestations,  or  as 


78  A  Study  of  Moods. 

calm  as  a  resistless  iceberg.  Whatever  its  characteristics,  it 
is  of  vastest  importance.  To  maintain  it  may  draw  heavily 
on  the  Will,  but  its  continued  possession  and  control  fur- 
nish among  the  surest  means  of  cultivating  and  training  the 
Will's  power  and  stability.  For  further  study  of  this  sub- 
ject reference  may  be  had  to  the  author's  work,  "Power 
for  Success." 

III. 

The  Mood  of  Permission.  The  Will,  in  this  Mood, 
having  originated  certain  actions  of  the  body  or  in  the 
mind,  simply  permits  the  movements  involved  to  "go  on 
of  themselves,"  as  it  were,  without  interference,  except  to 
modify  or  prohibit,  at  intervals,  and  as  occasion  may 
require.  Examples  of  such  permissive  action  of  the 
Will  may  be  seen  in  walking,  carried  on  automatically 
so  far  as  conscious  effort  is  concerned,  while  the  mind  is 
engaged  in  thought ;  in  reading  while  conversation  is  in 
progress  in  the  vicinity ;  in  musical  performance  while 
the  player  converses  with  others. 

In  all  such  cases  it  is  probable  that  the  "  under- 
ground mind  "  involves  consciousness  of  the  various  activ- 
ities, but  that  the  objective  mind  remains  a  sort  of  passive 
spectator  or  ruler  who  does  not  interpose  his  power. 

The  Mood  of  Permission  is  also  seen  when  the  con- 
scious Will  refrains  from  interfering  with  a  state,  an 
action,  or  a  line  of  conduct.  Thus  the  Will  permits 
various  mental  or  bodily  conditions,  as  reverie  or  rest,  or 
an  act  or  series  of  acts  to  continue,  or  a  habit  to  remain 
undisturbed,  or  a  course  in  life  to  proceed  —  the  mind  in 
all  cases  being  conscious  of  its  own  or  bodily  activities, 
and  that  it  may  at  any  moment  exert  the  Will  in  a  con- 
trary direction. 

This  mood  should  be  cultivated,  yet  always  with  ref- 
erence to  the  formation  of  good  habits  and  the  growth  of 


"Know   Thyself:'  79 

Will.  It  is  especially  valuable  in  permitting  rest  both  of 
body  and  of  mind  for  the  sake  of  psychic  tone.  But  it 
must  be  wisely  exercised,  for  otherwise  it  will  drop  to  the 
line  of  indolence,  and  thus  destroy  rather  than  build  up 
power  of  Will. 

IV. 

The  Mood  of  Decision.  This  Mood  involves  the 
Mood  of  Energy.  It  signifies  promptness  with  more  or 
less  of  force.  It  is  instant  in  its  action,  having  thus 
fulfilled  its  function.  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  Mood  to  be 
cultivated  and  continually  possessed,  as  the  emergencies 
of  life  make  incessant  demands  upon  its  exercise  in  the 
Will. 

"  The  irresolute  man  is  lifted  from  one  place  to 
another ;  so  hatcheth  nothing,  but  addles  all  his  actions." 

"  For  indecision  brings  its  own  delays, 
And  days  are  lost  lamenting  o'er  lost  days. 
Are  you  in  earnest  ?     Seize  this  very  minute. 
What  you  can  do,  or  dream  you  can,  begin  it. 
Boldness  has  genius,  power,  and  magic  in  it. 
Only  engage,  and  then  the  mind  grows  heated  — 
Begin,  and  then  the  work  will  be  completed." 

Every  effort  to  maintain  the  decisive  state  of  mind 
acts  directly  on  the  Will.  A  determined  resolution  to 
decide  intelligently  and  forcefully  all  questions  of  life  as 
they  may  present  themselves  —  rather  than  suffer  them 
to  hang  for  something  "to  turn  up"  —  will  be  found  to 
be  a  perfect  Will- tonic. 

V. 

The  Mood  of  Continuity.  This  Mood  involves  energy 
and  decision.  It  is,  as  it  were,  a  chain  of  decisions  —  the 
Mood  of  Decision  perpetuated.  In  evil,  it  is  a  man's 


8o  A  Study  of  Moods. 

ruin  ;  in  right  conduct,  one  of  the  methods  of  success. 
It  is  a  creator  of  interest,  and  a  prime  source  of  volun- 
tary habits. 

"  Habit  is  a  second  nature  as  regards  its  importance 
in  adult  life  ;  for  the  acquired  habits  of  our  training  have 
by  that  time  inhibited  or  strangled  most  of  the  natural 
impulsive  tendencies  which  were  originally  there.  Ninety- 
nine  hundredths  or,  possibly,  nine  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  thousandths,  of  our  activity  is  purely  automatic  and 
habitual,  from  our  rising  in  the  morning  to  our  lying  down 
each  night."  Hence  the  supreme  importance  of  forming 
habits  of  action  which  are  rational  and  make  for  the 
mind's  education. 

"A  capricious  man  is  not  one  man  merely ;  he  is  sev- 
eral at  once  ;  he  multiplies  himself  as  often  as  he  has  new 
tastes  and  different  behavior." 

"  Success  prompts  to  exertion,  and  habit  facilitates 
success." 

"  Habit  also  gives  promptness ;  and  the  soul  of 
despatch  is  decision." 

VI. 

The  Mood  of  Understanding.  In  this  Mood  the  per- 
son wills  to  attend  intelligently  to  the  thing  in  hand.  He 
concentrates  in  order  to  know.  He  insists  upon  knowing 
that  to  which  he  attends.  This  Mood  usually  results  in 
decision  and  continuity  —  but  not  always,  for  Reason 
may  dictate  inactivity,  and  the  man  may  refuse  to  follow 
his  moral  convictions.  But  the  Mood  of  Understanding 
is  imperative  in  an  intelligent  exercise  of  power  of  Will. 
It  often  prohibits  action.  It  provides  the  ground  for 
rational  endeavors.  It  is  the  check  of  rashness.  It  is 
the  inspiration  of  some  of  the  most  resistless  exhibitions 
of  Will-energy  known.  When  Grant  was  ready,  he  swept 


"Knot*    Thyself:'  81 

on  to  victory.  Great  commercial  enterprises  are  all  born 
of  this  Mood.  It  is  the  very  genius  of  Science.  Faraday, 
about  to  witness  an  experiment,  said,  "  Wait ;  what  am  I 
to  expect?"  That  was  the  mood  of  understanding.  A 
determination  to  cultivate  this  mood,  and  to  have  it  pres- 
ent in  all  deliberations,  will  obviate  innumerable  mistakes 
in  life,  and  infallibly  develop  great  power  and  wisdom  in 
the  exercise  of  the  Will. 

"  Nine  men  out  of  every  ten,"  says  Professor  William 
Matthews,  "  lay  out  their  plans  on  too  vast  a  scale  ;  and 
they  who  are  competent  to  do  almost  anything,  do  noth- 
ing, because  they  never  make  up  their  minds  distinctly  as 
to  what  they  want,  or  what  they  intend  to  be." 

VII. 

The  Mood  of  Reason.  In  this  Mood  the  person 
employs  the  preceding,  but  goes  on  to  ascertain  definite 
reasons  for  one  action  in  preference  to  another.  One 
may  understand  a  subject,  a  motive,  or  the  alternatives 
of  conduct,  yet  be  at  a  loss  for  the  right  decision.  The 
Mood  of  Reason  asks,  Why  this  action  or  that  ?  It  holds 
the  Will  back  until  satisfactory  answers  are  given. 
Undoubtedly  it  is  a  Mood  which  may  be  over-cultivated, 
and  there  are  occasions  when  the  inability  to  discover 
determining  reasons  for  action  or  cessation  of  action  must 
furnish  the  sole  reason  for  decision,  as  wrong  action  may 
be  better  than  a  perpetual  deadlock  of  the  Will.  Never- 
theless, the  Mood  of  Reason  stands  with  that  of  Right- 
eousness in  its  importance  to  the  conduct  of  life.  Its 
development  and  perennial  judgment  in  the  court  of 
mind  are  scientific  guaranties  of  a  strong  and  intelligent 
Will. 

"  Count  Von  Moltke,  "  writes  Orison  Swett  Marden, 
"  the  great  German  strategist  and  general,  chose  for  his 


82  A.  Study  of  Moods. 

motto,  Erst  wagen,  dann  wagen,  '  First  weigh,  then  ven- 
ture,' and  it  is  to  this  he  owed  his  great  victories.  He 
was  slow,  cautious,  careful  in  planning,  but  bold,  daring, 
even  seemingly  reckless  in  execution  the  moment  his 
resolve  was  made." 

VIII. 

The  Mood  of  Righteousness.  In  this  Mood  person 
is  bent  on  ascertaining  the  moral  quality  of  actions.  It 
is  the  loftiest  of  Moods  having  reference  to  Will.  It 
has  developed  some  of  the  greatest  Wills  of  the  ages.  It 
clears  the  mind,  uncovers  all  motives,  illumines  the  judg- 
ment, inspires  resolution,  induces  perseverance,  arouses 
the  understanding  and  guides  the  reason.  By  nothing  is 
the  Will  so  easily  disorganized  as  by  the  opposite  Mood 
—  that  of  Evil.  The  Mood  of  Righteousness  governs  the 
universe  —  that  is  its  superiority  —  and  exhibits  the 
strength  of  an  Almighty  Will.  He  who  nourishes  and 
holds  to  the  fore  this  Mood  is  infallibly  sure  of  a  good 
Will ;  —  which  may  err  in  directions  really  unimportant, 
but  cannot  err  in  the  direction  of  an  ultimate  power  of 
Will  that  guarantees  success  against  all  the  assaults  of 
evil  forever. 

Let  us  now  observe :  Many  people  exhibit  the 
Moods  of  Feeling,  Energy,  and  Decision. 

A  less  number  possess  adequately  the  Moods  of 
Understanding  and  Reason. 

Few.  there  are,  seemingly,  who  show  the  Mood  of 
intelligent  Continuity  in  life. 

Fewer  still  manifest  the  Mood  of  Righteousness  as 
a  permanent  factor  of  conduct. 

The  Will,  then,  may  be  graded  according  as  it  dis- 
closes these  Moods.  The  perfect  Will  exhibits  them  in 
symmetrical  combination  :  the  Mood  of  Right  Feeling  merg- 
ing into  the  Mood  of  Energy,  prompt  to  act,  but  pausing  for 


"Know   Thyself:'  83 

Understanding,  guided  by  Reason  and  controlled  by  Right- 
eousness. When  all  these  Moods  obtain,  there  is  the  perfect 
static  Will  capable  of  enormous  dynamic  energy  for  any 
length  of  time  and  -working  towards  the  noblest  ends  in  life. 
At  this  point  appears  a 

BASIC  PRINCIPLE  IN  WILL-CULTURE. 

Intelligent  cultivation  of  the  Will  involves  exercises 
dealing  with  every  department  of  human  nature: 

First,  Will-bent  practice  of  the  perceptive  powers  — 
exercise  of  feeling  and  knowing  for  growth  of  Will. 

Second.  Exercise  calling  the  imagination  into  play 
with  the  idea  of  strengthening  and  training  the  Will  by 
deliberate  activity  and  by  clean  consideration  of  motives 
and  consequences. 

Third1.  Practice  in  memory,  as  a  mind-improver  and 
as  a  Will-grower  ;  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  rendering 
experience  more  vivid,  and,  hence,  a  more  forceful  teacher. 

Fourth.  Practice  in  reasoning,  for  the  cultivation  of 
the  whole  mind,  and  in  order  to  develop  the  habit  of  acting 
according  to  definite  reasons,  together  with  the  elimina- 
tion of  impulse  and  thoughtless  decisions. 

Fifth.  Exercise  in  self-perception  and  self-control,  in 
the  eradication  of  injurious  tendencies  and  habits  and 
immoral  acts  and  conduct,  in  order  that  all  Moods  of  the 
Will  may  be  brought  to  the  fore  in  a  life  mastered  by 
righteousness.  For  here  only  is  the  perfect  Will. 

Sixth.  The  persistent  state  of  resolution  for  Will. 
This  means  the  preservation  always,  and  under  all  circum- 
stances of  the  attitude  —  I  WILL  TO  WILL.  He  who 
would  acquire  the  perfect  Will  must  carry  into  all  his 
thoughts  and  actions  the  resolute  assertion  :  I  RESOLVE 
TO  WILL !  This  resolution,  borne  out  in  persistent 
practice,  has  never  been  known  to  fail. 


THE   GREAT   PSYCHIC  FLOWER. 


See  I  in  fields  our  dandelions  yellow, 

And  lights  in  forest  vistas  warm  and  mellow, 

Flowers  of  sun  on  leafage  tapestry  f 

See  I  the  heavenly  ships  sail  lazily 

Above,  huge  shadow-flowers  blessed  with  motion^ 

And  the  -white  lilies  of  the  restless  ocean  f 

See  I  in  poefs  words  the  efflorescence 

Beautiful  of  spirit,  though  fs  quintessence? 

See  I  illumination  in  the  human  face, 

Eternal  Truth's  fair  flower  in  time  and  space  f    , 

See  I  all  this  and  count  my  soul  a  clod, 

Less  than  the  blooms  of  sky  or  sea  or  sodf 

Behold  yon  cloud-bank  drifting  toward  the  West. 

Its  form  is  but  material  force  compressed, 

Symbol  of  that  vast  Cloud,  the  Universe, 

Through  which,  in  which,  th"  Eternal  streams  and  stirs. 

And  I,  the  dust,  am  also  Shape  of  Him, 

But  more,  a  psychic  Star-Self  on  the  rim 

Of  Being  Deathless.     Count  I  soul-form  least 

Among  near  suns  or  worlds  beyond  the  Eastt 

The  mighty  Cosmos  is  one  Psychic  Flower, 

Bloom  of  the  Infinite's  exhaustless  power. 

One  Life  expands  in  atom  or  in  mind; 

I  see,  I  know,  I  feel  the  Undefined, 

And,  thrilled  as  willed,  life,  power,  unfoldment,  health^ 

Inherit,  seize,  from  all  this  boundless  wealth. 

—THE  Auraoa. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SOME  GENERAL  RULES. 

|  HE  exercise  of  the  Will,  or  the  lesson  of  power, 
is  taught  in  every  event.  From  the  child's 
possession  of  his  several  senses  up  to  the 
hour  when  he  saith,  '  Thy  will  be  done  1 '  he  is  learning 
the  secret,  that  he  can  reduce  under  his  Will,  not  only 
particular  events,  but  great  classes,  nay  the  whole  series 
of  events,  and  so  conform  all  facts  to  his  character." — 
Emerson. 

Part  I.  may  be  closed  with  some  general  rules. 

The  purpose  in  suggesting  a  number  of  practical 
rules  at  this  point  is  two-fold :  in  the  first  place,  the  rules 
furnish  examples  of  what  is  conceived  to  be  the  right  use 
of  the  Will ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  the  effort  to  employ 
them  and  fix  them  in  mind  will  bring  into  play  that  funda- 
mentally important  factor  of  our  nature,  the  sub-conscious 
self.  A  sea  captain  wrote  the  author  in  regard  to  these 
rules:  "  I  found  myself  during  a  stormy  passage  without 
effort  calling  the  rules  to  mind  and  bringing  them  into 
action,  and  I  never  got  through  bad  weather  so  easily." 

"  There  exists  in  all  intellectual  endeavor,"  says 
Jastrow  in  "  The  Subconscious,"  "  a  period  of  incubation, 
a  process  in  great  part  sub-conscious,  a  slow,  concealed 
maturing  through  absorption  of  suitable  pabulum.  Schop- 
enhauer calls  it  '  unconscious  rumination,'  a  chewing  over 
and  over  again  of  the  cud  of  thought  preparatory  to  its 


86  Some   General  Rules. 

assimilation  with  our  mental  tissue  ;  another  speaks  of  it 
as  the  red  glow  that  precedes  the  white  heat.  *  *  *  We 
develop  by  living  in  an  atmosphere  congenial  to  the 
occupation  that  we  seek  to  make  our  own  ;  by  steeping 
ourselves  in  the  details  of  the  business  that  is  to  be  our 
specialty,  until  the  judgment  is  trained,  the  assimilation 
sensitized,  the  perspective  of  importance  for  the  special 
purpose  well  established,  the  keenness  for  useful  improv- 
isation brought  to  an  edge.  When  asked  how  he  came 
to  discover  the  law  of  gravitation,  Newton  is  reported  to 
have  answered,  «  By  always  thinking  about  it.'  " 

FIRST  SET. 

Rules  pertinent  to  the  exercise  of  Will  in  the  conduct  of 
life. 

These  paragraphs  should  be  studied  and  thoroughly 
fixed  in  mind.  They  are  born  of  experience,  and  should 
be  practised  daily  until  they  become  automatic  in  the 
working  outfit  of  character. 

1.  Be  master  of  your  own  Will. 

2.  When  in  doubt,  do  nothing  ;  wait  for  light. 

3.  Cultivate  perfect  calmness. 

4.  Never  become  confusingly  excited. 

5.  Never  yield  to  temper,  nor  entertain  irritation. 

6.  Make  no  decision  when  out  of  temper. 

7.  If  inclined  to  rashness,  cultivate  conservatism. 

8.  If  inclined  to  excessive  —  injurious  —  conserv- 
atism (experience  must  decide  this),  cultivate  the  prompt 
and  progressive  spirit. 

9.  Decide  nothing  without  deliberation  where  delib- 
eration is  possible. 

10.  When  deliberation  is  not  possible,  keep  cool. 
Confusion  is  mental  anarchy  ;  it  dethrones  the  "  King." 

11.  After  a  decision    under    such    circumstances, 


All  Problems   Close  in  Adjustment.         87 

entertain  no  regrets.  The  regretful  mind  is  an  enemy  to 
a  good  Will.  If  the  mind  has  held  itself  with  an  iron 
grip  and  decided  on  the  spur  of  dire  necessity,  the  gods 
could  do  no  more. 

12.  Make  no  decision  without  an  adequate  purpose. 
Rely  upon  your  own  intelligent  idea  of  adequacy. 

13.  Permit  no  difficulties  to  turn  you  aside  from  an 
adequate   purpose.     Mirabeau  called  the  word  "impos- 
sible" "  that  blockhead  word." 

14.  Never  try  to  make  a  decision  the  carrying  out 
of  which  involves  a  real  impossibility. 

15.  In   the   pursuit  of  an   adequate   purpose,   sift 
means  according  to  ends,  then  shift  them  intelligently. 
It  is  folly  to  tunnel  a  mountain  if  you  can  get  a  better 
and  cheaper  road  by  going  around  it.     A  man  in  Ohio 
spent  thousands  of  dollars  in  laying  a  roadbed,  and  aban- 
doned it  to  purchase  another  railroad.     He  should  have 
made  sure  about  the  operating  road  first.     But  if  it  is 
necessary  to  sink  money  in  a  new  road  in  order  to  compel 
sale  of  an  old  one,  that  is  the  thing  to  do. 

1 6.  The  best  Will  is  not  that  which  pounds  through 
all  circumstances,  whether  or  no,  merely  for  the  sake  of 
persistence,  but  that  which  "  gets  there  "  by  taking  advan- 
tage of  shifting   conditions.     Ends,  not  means,  are  the 
goal  of  a  wise  Will. 

17.  Never  lose  sight  of  the  main  thing  in  hand. 

1 8.  Admit  no  motive  into  court  which  you  do  not 
clearly  see.     A  motive  is  like  a  would-be  soldier ;  it  should 
undergo  medical  examination  in  the  nude. 

19.  Never  permit  a  motive  for  a  decision  to  tangle 
up  with  a  motive  against.     Example :    This  city  is  a  good 
business  centre ;  but  then,  you  have  to  earn  your  money 
a  second  time  in  collecting  it.     Such  a  marriage  of  motives 
breeds  confusion.     Compel  every  motive  to  stand  alone. 


88  Some   General  Rules. 

20.  Remember,   that  a  decision   of   Will   involves 
judge  and  lawyer.     You  are  merely  and  always  the  judge. 
When  desire  takes  the  bench  and  the  judge  pleads,  it  is 
time  to  adjourn  court.     You  can  get  a  correct  "judgment " 
only  by  sticking  to  the  bench.     In  other  words,  never 
permit   yourself  to  plead,  either  with,  for  or  against  a 
motive. 

21.  In  making  an  important  decision,  summons  the 
whole  mind  to  this  one  act.     I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL  1 
ATTENTION !  I 

22.  Make  no  decision  while  the  mind  is  partly  occu- 
pied with  other  matters.     It  is  impossible  to  angle  for  fish 
and  shoot  buffaloes  at  the  same  time. 

23.  Never   work  at  cross-purposes.     Set  the   Will 
either  for  one  thing  or  for  the  other.     The  man  who  tries 
to  kill  two  birds  with  one   stone   usually   misses   both. 
Where  the  two  birds  are  taken  a  second  stone  has  stolen 
into  the  case. 

24.  Take  all  the  advice  that  is  offered;  —  then  cut 
upon  your  own  judgment. 

25.  Never  discount  your  own  experience.     This  is 
"dollars"  —  except  to  the  fool.     The  chief  value  of  the 
fooFs  experience  is  its  worth  to  others. 

26.  Never  act  upon  merely  passive  resolution.    This 
is  weakness.     It  may  be  phrased  in  these  words :     "  I 
guess  I  will  do  so  and  so."     One  may  say  thereto,  with 
Shakespeare,  "  What  a  lack-brain  is  this  !  "  Nothing  comes 
of  the  lackadaisical  Will. 

27.  If  this  is  the  general  tone  of  your  Will,  stimulate 
it  by  imitation  of  fierce  resolution. 

28.  The  first  secret  of  persistence  is  a  good  start ; 
the  second  is  a  constant  review  of  motives. 

29.  When  tempted  to  discouragement,  defer  action 
to  a  time  of  sounder  mood. 


All  Problems   Close  in  Adjustment.         89 

30.  Never  embark  in  an  enterprise  in  which  you  do 
not  thoroughly  believe.     To  do  otherwise  is  to  introduce 
confusion  among  the  judicial  powers.     If  it  turns  out  that 
your  want  of  faith  has  been  wrong,  you  have  nevertheless 
kept  those  judicial  powers  on  the  bench.     That  is  worth 
more  than  the  success  which  you  have  missed. 

31.  If  you  have  any  settled  fears  in  life,  consort 
with  them,  resolutely  and  persistently,    until  you   know 
them  for  liars. 

32.  Do  n't  worry!     To  worry  about  the  past  is  to 
dig  up  a  grave ;  let  the  corpse  lie.     To  worry  about  the 
future  is  to  dig  your  own  grave ;  let  the  undertaker  attend 
to  that.     The  present  is  the  servant  of  your  Will. 

33.  Never   decide   an  important  matter   when  the 
mind  is  confused  by  sickness.     Store  this  rule  in  your 
soul  during  health ;  it  will  stand  by  you  in  disease. 

34.  Never  yield  a  resolution  after  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.     The  morning  may  bring  a  better  thought. 

35.  Never  make  an  important  decision  after  three 
o'clock   in  the  afternoon,  nor  before  ten  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon.      Before    ten   you   have    not    "limbered   up." 
After  three  you  are  "  unlimbered." 

The  two  preceding  rules  are  merely  for  suggestion. 

36.  Never  ignore  in  deliberation  a  possible  conse- 
quence. 

37.  Insist  upon  seeing  clearly  all   possible  conse- 
quences. 

38.  In  deliberation,  consequences  should   always   be 
separated    from    motives;    in   judgment,    motives   should 
always  be  considered  with  reference  to  consequences. 

39.  Before  making  a  decision,  magnify  all  possible 
difficulties. 

40.  After   decision,  minify  every  actual   difficulty, 
and  throw  out  of  mind  every  difficulty  which  seems  to  be 


po  Some   General  Rules. 

imaginary.    Here  are  some  things  that  are  hard  to  decide ; 
but  then,  all  life  is  a  taking  of  chances. 

41.  If  you  must  take  chances,  take  those  that  lean 
your  way. 

42.  Learn   to   emphasize  in    thought,   and   to  see 
clearly,  remote  motives,  contingencies  and  consequences. 
Be  sure  that  they  are  not  overshadowed  by  those  which 
are  near.     Example  :    I  wish   to  economize  in  order  to 
secure  a  home  ;  but  at  present,  I  desire  a  vacation.     The 
home  is  very  remote,  while  the  period  of  rest  is  very  near 
and  clamorous. 

43.  In  weighing  motives,  have  a  care  that  desire 
does  not  tip  the  scale.     "  In  making  an  effort  to  fix  our 
mind  on  a  distant  good  or  a  remote  evil  we  know  that  we 
are  acting  in  the  direction  of  our  true  happiness.     Even 
when    the   representation   of    the    immediate   result    is 
exerting  all  its  force,  and  the  representation  of  the  dis- 
tant one  is  faint  and   indistinct,  we  are  vaguely  aware 
that  the  strongest  desire  lies  in  this  direction.     And  the 
resolute  direction  of  attention  in  this  quarter  has  for  its 
object  to  secure  the  greatest  good  by  an  adequate  process 
of  representation." 

44.  Never  lie  to  yourself   in  the  consideration  of 
motives  and  consequences.     If  you  must  /if,  practise  on 
other  people  ;  they  will  find  you  out ;  but  if  you  continue  to 
lie  to  yourself,  you  are  a  lost  fool. 

45.  Remember  always   that   the  lie  is  the  dry  rot 
of  Will. 

46.  Be  absolutely  genuine  and  sincere.     Yet,  withal, 
this  gives  you  no  right  to  ride  rough-shod  over  neighbor- 
ing humanity. 

47.  Never  perform  an  act,  nor  make  a  decision,  in 
opposition  to  what  Socrates  called  his  "  Daimonion," — 
the  inner  voice  that  whispers,  "  Better  not  1 " 


AH  Problems  Cfose  tn  Adjustment.         91 

48.  When  you  write  to  an  enemy  a  letter  in  which 
you  scorch  his  soul,  be  happy  —  but  do  not  mail  it  until 
to-morrow.     You  will  then  see  that  you  have  written  too 
much.     Condense  it  by  half  —  but  do  not  mail  it  until 
to-morrow.     It  will   keep.     Do  not   destroy  it.     It   is  a 
good   letter.     To-morrow    you   will    again   condense   it. 
When  you  can  write  a  brief,  plain,  but  courteous  letter,  in 
which  you  reveal  good  breeding  and  disclose   reticence, 
do  so,  and  instantly  mail  it,  grateful  for  common  sense. 

49.  Never  resolve  upon  an  act  which  will,  or  may  — 
injure  other  people,  or  injure  yourself. 

50.  Measure  motives  by  your  noblest  selfhood. 

5 1 .  Dismiss  without  consideration  motives  or  actions 
which  you  clearly  recognize  to  be  contrary  to  your  best 
instincts. 

52.  In  all  conflicts  between  duty  and  pleasure,  give 
duty  the  benefit  of  the  doubt. 

53.  Never  act  contrary  to  your  clearest  judgment. 
Others  may  be  right ;  but,  in  the  long  run,  better  is  mis- 
take in  your  own  judgment  than  right  on  the  judgment  of 
others.     Do  not  abdicate  the  throne. 

54.  Cultivate  as  a  permanent   habit  of   mind   the 
positive  Mood  of  willing. 

55.  Never  will  to    be   an  imitator   or   a   follower. 
You  can  so  will  unconsciously ;  therefore  resolve  to  lead 
and  to  invent  and  move  out  on  new  lines. 

It  is  impossible  to  deliberate  over  every  detail  of 
conduct.  Hence  life  must  become  habituated  to  right 
general  principles.  "A  force  endowed  with  intelligence, 
capable  of  forming  purposes  and  pursuing  self-chosen 
ends,  may  neglect  those  rules  of  action  which  alone  can 
guide  it  safely,  and  thus  at  last  wholly  miss  the  natural 
ends  of  its  being.  To  such  a  being,  eternal  vigilance 
would  be  the  price  of  liberty." 


92  Some   General  Rules. 

SECOND  SET. 

Rules  having  reference  to  the  Moods  of  mind. 
I.  —  The  Mood  of  Feeling  : 

1.  Never  yield   to  the   Mood   of   Feeling   without 
scrutinizing  it  closely. 

2.  In  cultivating  this  Mood,  be  sure  that  it  is  wholly 
free  from  wrong   desire,  fear,  hate,  prejudice,  jealousy, 
anger,    revenge,    nervous  disorders,    mental   depression, 
misconceptions  and  partial  views. 

3.  At   no   time   permit   this    Mood   to  explode   in 
impulse. 

4.  Keep  the  Mood  constantly  at  a  high,  but  rational 
and  controlled,  pitch  or  tone. 

II.  —  The  Mood  of  Energy  : 

1.  Seek   every  opportunity  to  intensify  conscious- 
ness of  the  determined  Will. 

2.  Maintain   the   resolute    sense    of   the   emphatic 
personality. 

3.  Keep  the  Mood  under  firm  control. 

4.  Permit  no  explosion  without  deliberate  decision 
and  adequate  cause. 

5.  Bring  this  Mood  to  all  activities. 

6.  Hold   the   eye  of   energy  upon    life's   ultimate 


III.  —  The  Mood  of  Decision : 

1.  Precede  all  decision  by  deliberation. 

2.  Cultivate  decision  in  so-called  unimportants. 

3.  Endeavor  constantly  to  reduce  the  time  expended 
in   arriving   at   decision.      Do  everything   as  swiftly  as 
possible. 


All  Problems   Close  in  Adjustment.          93 

4.  Never  defer   decided   action.     Go   immediately 
into  the  business  determined  upon. 

5.  Always  conjoin  with  this  Mood  that  of  energy. 

IV.—  The  Mood  of  Continuity: 

1.  Count  the  cost. 

2.  Repeat  constantly  the  resolution  involved. 

3.  Do  not  brood  over  difficulties. 

4.  Keep  the  goal  in  sight. 

5.  In  all   continuous  effort   hold  to  the  fore   the 
Mood  of  utmost  energy,  and  cause  decision  to  act  like  a 
trip-hammer  incessantly  on  the  purposed  business. 

6.  Regard  each  step  or  stage  as  a  goal  in  itself. 
Act  by  act  —  the  thing  is  done  ! 

V.  —  The  Moods  of  Understanding  and  Reason  : 

1.  Know,  first,  what  the  matter  proposed  involves. 

2.  Know,  secondly,  what  defeat  means. 

3.  Know,  thirdly,  what  success  signifies. 

4.  Understand  your  own  weakness. 

5.  Understand  your  own  powers. 

6.  Thoroughly  understand  how  to  proceed. 

7.  Become  acquainted  with   all   details   connected 
with  an  undertaking,  and  with  the  reasons  for  one  method 
of  procedure  or  another. 

VI.  —  The  Mood  of  Righteousness  : 

1.  Have  perfect  faith  in  yourself. 

2.  Have  faith  in  men. 

3.  Be  honest  —  absolutely  honest  —  with  yourself. 

4.  Permit  nothing  in  self  to  hoodwink  judgment. 

5.  Put  yourself  always  in  the  other  man's  shoes. 

6.  Examine  all  moral  traditions. 

7.  Reject  nothing  because  it  is  old. 

8.  Approve  nothing  because  it  is  new. 


94  Some   General  Rules. 

9.  Settle  no  question  by  expediency. 

10.  Seek  all  possible  light. 

11.  Live  up  to  all  light  possessed. 

12.  Follow  your  best  instincts. 

13.  Try  your  ideas  by  the  opinions  of  others. 

14.  Surrender  to  all  good  and  wise  impulses. 

15.  Love  truth  supremely, 

1 6.  Be  as  anxious  to  discover  duty  as  you  ought  to 
be  to  perform  it  when  discovered. 

The  following  remarkable  paragraph,  by  John  Stuart 
Mill,  almost  epitomizes  the  right  use  of  Will-power : 

"  He  who  chooses  his  plan  for  himself,  employs  all 
his  faculties.  He  must  use  observation  to  see,  reasoning 
and  judgment  to  foresee,  activity  to  gather  materials  for 
decision,  discrimination  to  decide,  and  when  he  has  decided, 
firmness  and  self-control  to  hold  to  his  deliberate  decision. 
And  these  qualities  he  requires  and  exercises  exactly  in 
proportion  as  the  part  of  his  conduct  which  he  determines 
according  to  his  own  judgment  and  feeling  is  a  large  one. 
It  is  possible  that  he  might  be  guided  in  some  good  path, 
and  kept  out  of  harm's  way,  without  any  of  these  things. 
But  what  will  be  his  comparative  worth  as  a  human 
being  ?  It  really  is  of  importance  not  only  what  men  do, 
but  also  what  manner  of  men  they  are  that  do  it.  Among 
the  works  of  man,  which  human  life  is  rightly  employed 
in  perfecting  and  beautifying,  the  first  in  importance 
surely  is  man  himself." 

But  the  work  of  this  chapter  will  not  be  finished  so 
long  as  dependence  is  placed  on  the  objective  self  alone. 
There  is  a  deeper  self  which  must  be  trained  to  accept 
and  act  on  the  rules  above  suggested.  It  is  a  mistake  to 
expect  self-development  from  external  activities  exclusive- 
ly. If  you  go  over  the  rules  until  they  are  thoroughly 


All  Problems   Close  in  Adjustment.         95 

imbedded  in  the  sub-conscious  phases  of  your  mind,  they 
will  then  "  germinate,"  so  to  speak,  and  in  time  become 
"  second  nature."  In  the  meantime,  it  will  be  advisable 
to  affirm  mentally  somewhat  as  follows :  "  I  am  absorb- 
ing these  principles  of  conduct,  and  in  so  doing  am 
affirming  that  the  moods  indicated  are  surely  becoming 
mine,  actual  factors  in  my  every-day  life." 

For  remember,  you  cannot  find  reality,  truth,  life,  a 
universe,  by  going  forever  outside  of  self  nor  by  gazing 
into  some  imaginary  sky.  So  far  as  you  are  concerned, 
none  of  these  things  exist  save  as  each  is  given  existence 
within  your  selfhood.  The  Universe  passes  solemnly 
through  every  growing  soul  from  the  region  of  the 
ungrasped  and  below  the  ordinary  consciousness.  No 
knowledge  comes  from  upper  airs  —  though  half  the 
reality  of  any  knowledge  lies  there  because  every  individ- 
ual centers  Infinite  Existence  —  but  all  emerges  from  the 
under  realm  of  the  unknown  in  consciousness.  No  pos- 
session is  yours  until  it  has  swept  up  from  the  lower  inner 
fields  of  life. 

Stand,  therefore,  for  the  objective  life,  of  course,  but 
always  as  well  for  the  inner  existence  which  allies  you 
with  all  worlds.  If,  taking  the  outer  life  as  it  comes,  you 
will  for  long  affirm  that  your  deeper  self  is  also  in  relation 
with  all  right  things  and  growing  because  of  that  relation, 
you  will  in  this  way  realize  the  remarkable  quotation  from 
Mill.  Otherwise,  it  is  nothing  better  than  commonplace 
school  instruction. 


THE    KING. 


Silent  the  great  audience-room.     Yet  stirs 

In  all  the  place  a  premonition  vague 

Of  imminent  events.    A  breath  proclaims 

Through  swaying  curtains  Majesty's  approach. 

Guards  stand  alert.    Low  murmuring  sounds  arise 

Of  retinues  attendant.     Then,  the  pause 

Of  homage and  the  Sovereign  enters  in. 

The  chamber  of  the  kingly  life  is  nought 
Save  place  expectant  till  the  Lord  of  all, 
Assumptive  ever  of  his  rightful  throne 
Though  absent  for  siesta  or  the  chase, 
Stride  in  and  speak  his  omnipresent  Power. 
*Tis  vacancy  whose  meaning  sole  is  this: 
His  coming  to  au>ait,  his  presence  guard. 
And  thus,  forsooth,  all  eminent  domain, 
From  chamber  to  frontier,  whose  value  lies 
In  his  great  self.    As  king  is,  so  the  land! 

As  Will  is,  so  the  man  /     The  vacant  mind, 
Eventless  years,  breath  signifying  nought, 
Senses  as  idle  as  the  summer  clouds, 
Attendants  loosed  and  chattering — all  breed 
Dread  anarchy,  or  worse,  a  bankrupt  soul. 
Lo,  if  the  Will  fails,  kingdoms  baubles  are  / 
But  if  he  reigns,  the  desert's  boundless  waste 
Bursts  into  splendor  and  proclaims  his  power  / 

As  Will  is,  so  the  man  !     The  brain  alert, 

The  household  true,  the  message  bearers  swift, 

The  five  great  overlords  leal  servants,  friends, 

The  five  good  gates  co-ordinate  and  sure, 

A  song  of  action  in.  the  sun-charged  air, 

And  those  three  ministers  of  glorious  life  — 

Faith  tireless,  unboisterous  Confidence, 

And  Courage,  soft  of  speech,  whose  word  is  hope, 

Beside  the  royal  Presence  alway.     Thus 

The  realm  be  when  his  Majesty,  the  Will, 

Rules,  potent.     Thus  comes  Power  invisible 

From  Heaven  to  company  the  Sovereign, 

To  bless  the  kingdom  of  the  human  soul, 

To  make  its  Lord  imperial,  throned  on  law: 

One  to  outlook  the  worlds,  and  conquer  them  / 

—  THB  AUTHOR. 


PART  II.— THE  WILL  AND  SENSE-CULTURE. 


RESOLUTION. 

Realizing  the  necessity  of  a  strong  and  well-trained 
Will  for  the  largest  success  in  secular  affairs  and  in  morals, 
and  recognizing  various  defects  in  my  own  Will-power,  I 
hereby  RE  SOL  VE  to  give  the  present  work  a  thorough  trial 
in  all  its  exercises  and  suggestions ;  and  to  embody  these,  with 
others  that  may  occur  to  me  during  such  trial,  so  far  as  any 
of  them  are  evidently  designed  to  be  so  embodied  in  conduct, 
for  the  remainder  of  my  life. 

[Signed.-] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PRACTICE. 

jATURE  is  often  hidden,  sometimes  overcome, 
seldom  extinguished.  He  that  seeketh  victory 
over  his  nature,  let  him  not  set  himself  too 
great  nor  too  small  tasks ;  for  the  first  will  make  him 
dejected  by  often  failings,  and  the  second  will  make  him 
a  small  proceeder,  though  by  often  prevailings.  Let  not 
a  man  force  a  habit  upon  himself  with  a  perpetual  con- 
tinuance, but  with  some  intermission.  For  both  the  pause 
reinforceth  the  new  onset ;  and  if  a  man  that  is  not  perfect 
be  ever  in  practice,  he  shall  as  well  practice  his  errors  as 
his  abilities,  and  induce  one  habit  of  both.  And  there  is 
no  means  to  help  this  but  by  seasonable  intermissions." — 
Lord  Bacon. 

Should  the  exercises  given  in  this  division  of  our 
work,  Part  II.,  seem  unessential  or  tedious,  you  are  in- 
vited to  remember  that,  as  Royce  has  said  (^Outlines  of 
Psychology  "  )  :  — 

"  The  development  and  support  of  mental  activities  of 
every  grade  is  dependent  upon  the  constant  and  proper  use 
of  the  sense  organs.  Every  cultivation  01  even  the  highest 
inner  life  involves  a  cultivation  of  the  sense  organs.'* 

But  observe :  "  The  life  of  the  senses  does  not  con- 
stitute a  sort  of  lower  life,  over  against  which  the  higher 
intellectual,  emotional  and  voluntary  life  stands,  as  a 
markedly  contrasted  region  relatively  independent  of  the 


ioo  Suggestions  for  Practice. 

other,  and  ideally  capable  of  a  certain  divorce  from  it. 
On  the  contrary,  sensory  experience  plays  its  part,  and  its 
essential  part,  in  the  very  highest  of  our  spiritual  existence. 
When  we  wish  to  cultivate  processes  of  abstract  thinking, 
our  devices  must  therefore  include  a  fitting  plan  for  the 
cultivation  of  the  senses,  and  must  not  plan  to  exclude 
sense  experience  as  such,  but  only  to  select  among  sen- 
sory experiences  those  that  will  prove  useful  for  a  purpose. 

We  are  now  prepared  for  the  actual  work  of  Will- 
culture  in  Physical  Regime.  The  present  chapter  is 
preliminary  yet  eminently  practical,  and  it  should  not 
only  be  carefully  read  but  thoroughly  studied  until  its 
suggestions  are  deeply  grounded  in  daily  life. 

At  this  point  certain  principles  appear  which  form  the 
basis  of  all  Physical  Re'gime. 

FIRST  PRINCIPLE. 

Continuous  and  intelligent  thought  on  the  growth  of 
any  mental  power,  with  exercises  carried  on  to  that  end, 
exert  a  developing  influence  upon  the  function  itself.  In  the 
case  of  the  Will  this  would  follow  without  systematic 
practice,  but  regulated  exercise  tends  to  hold  attention  to 
the  desired  goal  and  to  increase  the  power  of  the  idea  of 
Will-culture.  The  value  of  the  abiding  thought,  "I 
resolve  to  acquire  a  strong  and  well-trained  Will  I  "  can 
scarcely  be  overstated. 

SECOND  PRINCIPLE. 

Exercises  involving  one  department  of  body  or  mind  will 
exert  various  beneficial  influences  : 

Of  the  body,  on  other  parts  of  body ; 

Of  the  body,  on  various  powers  of  mind ; 

Of  the  mind,  on  other  powers  of  mind ; 

Of  the  mind,  on  various  functions  and  organs  of  the 
body. 


Great  is  Drill.  101 

An  illustration  of  the  general  law  may  be  seen  in 
the  increased  grip-power  of  one  hand  caused  by  daily 
practice  with  the  other.  Thus,  Professor  E.  W.  Scripture, 
in  "  Thinking,  Willing,  Doing."  remarks  : 

"It  is  incredible  to  me  how  in  the  face  of  our  general 
experience  of  gymnasium  work  some  writers  can  assert 
that  practice  makes  no  change  in  the  greatest  possible 
effort.  At  any  rate,  in  experiments  made  under  my 
direction  the  change  could  be  traced  day  by  day. 

"  Curiously  enough,  this  increase  of  force  is  not  con- 
fined to  the  particular  act.  In  the  experiments  referred 
to,  the  greatest  possible  effort  ir  gripping  was  made  on 
the  first  day  with  the  left  hand  singly  and  then  with  the 
right  hand,  ten  times  each.  The  records  were :  for  the 
left,  fifteen  pounds,  for  the  right,  fifteen  pounds.  There- 
after, the  right  hand  alone  was  practised  nearly  every 
day  for  eleven  days,  while  the  left  hand  was  not  used. 
The  right  hand  gained  steadily  day  by  day;  on  the 
twelfth  day  it  recorded  a  grip  of  twenty-five  pounds.  The 
left  hand  recorded  on  the  same  day  a  grip  of  twenty-one 
pounds.  Thus  the  left  hand  had  gained  six  pounds,  or 
more  than  one-third,  by  practice  of  the  other  hand." 

In  practice  seeking  development  of  Will,  what  is 
true  of  hands  will  be  true  of  mental  powers.  Indeed, 
steadfast,  purposeful  exercise  of  physical  powers  in  general 
•will  develop  power  of  Will.  The  same  writer  goes  on  to 
say  on  this  point : 

"A  great  deal  has  been  said  of  the  relation  of  physi- 
cal exercise  to  Will-power.  I  think  that  what  I  have  said 
sufficiently  explains  how  we  can  use  the  force  of  an  act  as 
an  index  of  Will-power.  It  is  unquestionable  that  gym- 
nastic exercises  increase  the  force  of  act.  The  conclusion 
seems  clear ;  the  force  of  Will  for  those  particular  acts 
must  be  increased.  It  has  often  been  noticed  that  an  act 


102  Suggestions  for  Practice. 

will   grow   steadily  stronger   although    not   the  slightest 
change  can  be  seen  in  the  muscle. 

"  Of  course  I  do  not  say  that  the  developed  muscle 
does  not  give  a  greater  result  for  the  same  impulse  than 
the  undeveloped  one  ;  but  I  do  claim  that  much  of  the 
increase  or  decrease  of  strength  is  due  to  a  change  in 
Will-power.  For  example,  no  one  would  say  that  San- 
dow,  the  strong  man,  has  a  more  powerful  Will  than  any- 
body else.  But  Sandow's  strength  varies  continually, 
and,  although  part  of  this  variation  may  be  due  to  changes 
in  the  muscles,  a  large  portion  is  due  to  a  change  in  force 
of  Will.  When  Sandow  is  weak,  make  him  angry,  and 
note  the  result." 

THIRD  PRINCIPLE. 

Lower  forms  of  exercise  in  bodily  movement  prepare 
the  way  for  higher  exercises.  "All  the  higher  actions  of 
life  depend  on  the  attainment  of  a  general  control  of  the 
bodily  organs."  This  is  true  even  when  such  control  is 
left  to  hap-hazard  methods.  It  is  immeasurably  truer 
when  control  is  intelligently  sought.  "  Consequently,"  in 
the  highest  sense,  "the  exercising  of  these  capabilities 
involves  a  rudimentary,"  and  a  very  complete  "training 
of  the  Will,  for  a  definite  reaction  on  the  Will  itself  is 
absolutely  certain." 

FOURTH  PRINCIPLE. 

Intelligent  work  in  Will-culture  must  begin  with  per- 
ception. Perception  precedes  mental  growtk.  The  senses 
are  our  common  miners  for  raw  material  of  mental  life. 
Yet  how  few  people  adequately  attend  to  sensation  or 
intelligently  employ  their  own  senses !  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  here  is  a  large  terra  incognita.  One  of  the  chief 
differences  among  men  is  the  matter  of  vision.  By  vision 
is  meant  the  ability  to  see,  hear  and  feel  reality.  Some 
people  perceive  a  great  deal  on  the  surface  of  things; 


Great  is  Drill.  103 

others  catch  but  little  even  here.  Some  perceive  not 
only  the  superficial  aspects  of  reality,  but  also  its  inner 
contents ;  others,  again,  discover  neither  the  surface  of 
things  nor  their  hidden  meaning.  Eyes,  ears,  nerves 
they  have ;  but  they  see  not,  hear  not,  feel  not.  To  such 
people  a  strong  Will-power  is  a  stranger.  They  are  gov- 
erned largely  by  caprice. 

The  first  requisite,  then,  of  Will-growth,  is  observation. 
The  mind  must  learn  to  see  things  as  they  are,  to  hear 
things  as  they  are,  to  feel  things  as  they  are. 

"  Eyes  and  No-eyes  journeyed  together,"  says  the 
author  just  quoted.  "  No-eyes  saw  only  what  thrust  itself 
upon  him ;  Eyes  was  on  the  watch  for  everything.  Eyes 
used  the  fundamental 'method  of  all  knowledge  —  observation^ 
or  "watching. 

"  This  is  the  first  lesson  to  be  learned  —  the  art  of 
watching.  Most  of  us  went  to  school  before  this  art  was 
cultivated,  and,  alas !  most  of  the  children  still  go  to 
schools  of  the  same  kind.  There  are  proper  ways  of 
learning  to  watch,  but  the  usual  object  lessons  in  school 
result  in  just  the  opposite.  We,  however,  cannot  go  a 
step  further  till  we  have  learned  how  to  watch." 

Hence,  the  watchword  all  along  must  be  ATTEN- 
TION !  The  Will  must  begin  its  work  by  resolving  upon 
persistent  ATTENTION.  To  the  various  operations  of 
the  senses  Will  must  mightily  attend  1  In  all  exercises 
the  watchword  must  never  be  forgotten  :  ATTENTION ! 
But  attention  for  what  purpose  ?  For  one  sole  purpose  — 
Will-power !  The  commanding  formula,  then,  is :  — 
"  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL !  ATTENTION ! !  " 

FIFTH  PRINCIPLE. 

Systematic  exercise,  with  power  of  Will  constantly 
kept  in  mind  as  a  goal  never  to  be  yielded,  develops  the 


104  Suggestions  for  Practice. 

Will-habit.  Hence  the  value  of  persistence.  Practice 
develops  persistence;  persistence  perfects  practice. 
Emerson  said  truly : 

"  The  second  substitute  for  temperament  is  drill,  the 
power  of  use  and  routine.  The  hack  is  a  better  roadster 
than  the  Arab  barb.  ...  At  West  Point,  Colonel  Buford, 
the  Chief  Engineer,  pounded  with  a  hammer  on  the  trun- 
nions of  a  cannon,  until  he  broke  them  off.  He  fired  a 
piece  of  ordnance  some  hundred  times  in  swift  succession, 
until  it  burst.  Now,  which  stroke  broke  the  trunnion  ? 
Every  stroke.  Which  blast  burst  the  piece?  Every 
blast.  'Diligence  passe  sens,'  Henry  VIII.  was  wont  to 
say,  or,  '  Great  is  drill.'  .  .  .  Practice  is  nine-tenths.  .  .  . 
Six  hours  every  day  at  the  piano,  only  to  give  facility  of 
touch ;  six  hours  a  day  at  painting,  only  to  give  command 
of  the  odious  materials,  oil,  ochres,  and  brushes.  The 
masters  say  that  they  know  a  master  in  music,  only  by 
seeing  the  pose  of  the  hands  on  the  keys ;  —  so  difficult 
and  vital  an  act  is  the  command  of  the  instrument.  To 
have  learned  the  use  of  the  tools,  by  thousands  of  manip- 
ulations ;  to  have  learned  the  arts  of  reckoning,  by  end- 
less adding  and  dividing,  is  the  power  of  the  mechanic 
and  the  clerk." 

"Not  only  men,"  says  Thomas  Reid,  the  English 
Philosopher,  "  but  children,  idiots,  and  brutes,  acquire  by 
habit  many  perceptions  which  they  had  not  originally. 
Almost  every  employment  in  life  hath  perceptions  of  this 
kind  that  are  peculiar  to  it.  The  shepherd  knows  every 
sheep  of  his  flock,  as  we  do  our  acquaintance,  and  can 
pick  them  out  of  another  flock  one  by  one.  The  butcher 
knows  by  sight  the  weight  and  quality  of  his  beeves  and 
sheep  before  they  are  killed.  The  farmer  perceives  by 
his  eye  very  nearly  the  quantity  of  hay  in  a  rick  or  corn 
in  a  heap.  The  sailor  sees  the  burden,  the  build,  and  the 


Great  is  Drill.  105 

distance  of  a  ship  at  sea,  while  she  is  a  great  way  off. 
Every  man  accustomed  to  writing,  distinguishes  acquaint- 
ances by  their  handwriting,  as  he  does  by  their  faces. 
In  a  word,  acquired  perception  is  very  different  in  differ- 
ent persons,  according  to  the  diversity  of  objects  about 
which  they  are  employed,  and  the  application  they  bestow 
in  observing  them" 

All  such  acquired  powers  are  the  results  of  long- 
continued  practice.  And  back  of  them  lies  the  persistent 
Will.  In  the  most  of  such  and  similar  instances  no  great 
amount  of  Will  is  required  at  any  one  time;  they  are 
rather  outcomes  of  steady  application  to  the  thing  in  hand. 

Thus,  unfailing  attention  to  the  exercises  here  to 
follow,  with  the  idea  of  power  of  Will  constantly  in  mind, 
will  impart  facility  as  regards  the  directions  given,  and  in 
turn  will  develop  the  controlling  faculty  of  mind  to  an 
astonishing  degree. 

But  this  work,  to  be  successful,  must  be  conducted 
with  labor  and  patience.  Think  not  to  acquire  a  great 
Will  without  toil.  Nor  imagine  that  such  a  boon  can 
come  of  a  month's  training  or  of  spasmodic  effort.  There 
is  but  one  way  to  get  a  good  Will ;  to  will  to  will,  and  to 
carry  out  that  will  with  unflinching  perseverance. 

The  insane  are  sometimes  able,  for  a  purpose,  to 
*'  wind  themselves  up "  and  act  like  the  sanest,  by  a 
supreme  effort  of  Will.  If  the  present  book  costs  you 
many  months  of  endeavor,  it  will  "  wind  up  "  the  Will  to 
great  power  and  persistence,  and  will  justify  all  time  and 
toil. 

SIXTH  PRINCIPLE. 

The  -value  of  drill  depends  largely  upon  system.  This 
requires  not  only  regular  labor,  but  regular  rest-periods 
as  well. 


106  Suggestions  for  Practice. 

In  the  ten-day  exercises  continue  five  days,  then  rest  — 
preferably  Saturday  and  Sunday. 

From  first  to  last,  cultivate  and  sustain  the  Mood  of 
Will.  Put  the  Will  at  the  fore.  Here  alone  is  our  ne 
plus  ultra! 

Finally,  in  order  that  the  principles  involved  may 
become  an  intelligent  part  of  the  system  carried  out,  the 
following  suggestions  applicable  to  the  Physical  and  Men- 
tal Regimes  should  be  thoroughly  worked  into  the  student's 
mind  as  to  : 

First. —  In  Regard  to  Perception. 

1.  Keep  the  perceptive  powers  always  at  their  best : 
eyes,  ears,  smell,  taste,  touch,  nerves. 

2.  Attend  to  the  consciousness  of  each  sense. 

3.  Obsen>e  frequent  and  regular  periods  of  rest.    The 
law  that  "  voluntary  attention  comes  only  in  beats,"  re- 
quires this  rule. 

4.  With  attainment  of  facility,  invent  new  methods 
of  practice. 

5.  Carry  the  idea  involved  in  practice  into  all  your 
life. 

6.  While  habituated  actions  that  are  not  naturally 
automatic  are  certainly  voluntary,  the  presence  of  conscious 
Will   should  be  maintained  as  much  as  possible  in    all 
such  activities.     Example  :   piano  playing ;  hold  the  mind 
consciously  to  every  movement 

7.  Continue  the  practice  of  the  perceptive  powers 
until  the  greatest  willing  power  has  been  acquired. 

Secondly. — In  Regard  to  Memory. 
i.     If  the  memory  is   weak   all   round,    resolve  to 
strengthen  it. 


Great  is  Drill.  107 

2.  Seek  to  discover  the  peculiarities  of  your  own 
memory.     Then  make  the  most  of  it. 

3.  If  the  memory  is  weak  in  some  particulars,  but 
strong  in  others,  cultivate  it  especially  where  weak,  and 
compel  it  where  strong  to  assist  in  this  effort. 

4.  Subordinate  the  verbal  memory  to  that  of  prin- 
ciples. 

5.  Give  memory  for  principles  a  good  foundation 
in  memorized  facts,  dates,  etc. 

6.  Rely  resolutely  upon  the  ability  of  your  memory 
to  do  your  bidding. 

7.  Frequently  review  all  work  of  the  memory  with 
great  Will-power. 

8.  Make  use,  as  often  as  possible,  in  conversation 
and  writing,  and  in  public  speaking,  of  all  the  acquire- 
ments of  memory. 

9.  Always  put  the  Will  into  the  effort  to  remember. 

10.  Arrange  materials  by  association.     Then  system- 
atize and  associate  memory's  possessions. 

11.  Resolve  to  acquire  a  perfect  memory. 

12.  Abstain  from  all  use  of  tobacco  and  alcohol. 

13.  Put  no  reliance  in  mnemonics,  or  any  arbitrary 
"  helps,"  but  employ  natural  laws  of  association,  such  as 

"  Contiguity Horse  and  rider. 

Contrast Light  and  dark. 

Resemblance Grant  and  Sherman. 

Cause  and  effect     ....  Vice  and  misery. 
Whole  and  parts    ....  United  States  and  New  York. 
Genus  and  species     .    .    .  Dog  and  greyhound. 
Sign  and  thing  signified  .    Cross  and  Catholic  faith." 

Thirdly. — In  Regard  to  Imagination. 

1.  Do  not  indulge  in  revery. 

2.  Abstain  from  all  evil  imaginations. 


io8  Suggestions  for  Practice. 

3.  Deal,  in  the  imagination,  with  facts  and  essential 
reality  alone. 

4.  Fill  mind  with  wholly  admirable  material. 

5.  Put  the  Will-sense  into  the  imagination. 

6.  Make  the  imagination  a  conscious  and  intelligent 
instrument.     Use  it  for  practical  purposes. 

7.  Beware  of  the  "  squint"  brain.     Look  at  things 
squarely  and  without  prejudice. 

8.  Do  not  fall  in  love  with  the  wonderful  for  its 
own  sake. 

9.  Do  not  permit  the  imagination  to  dwell  upon  any 
one  thing,  nor  upon  any  one  quarter  of  thought  or  life, 
for  long  at  one  time. 

10.  Provide  for  the  imagination  the  greatest  variety 
of  material. 

11.  Rigidly   exclude   from   the  realm  of    fancy    all 
imaginary  ills,  and  especially  misconceptions  about  men 
or  reality.     Guard  against  deception  here. 

Fourthly. —  In  Regard  to  Self-perception. 

1.  Do  not  suffer  mind  to  become  morbid. 

2.  Subject  the  testimony  of  the  senses  and  of  mind 
to  the  closest  scrutiny  of  reason. 

3.  Maintain  in  all  seasons  the  healthy  mood.    Keep 
up  your  supply  of  ozone. 

4.  Live  among  wholesome  people. 

5.  Companion  only  with  large  and  vigorous  truths. 

6.  Thrust  the   Will   into   all   perception    of    self. 
Banish  the  dream-mood.     Turn  a  hurricane  in  on  halluci- 
nations. 

7.  Become   familiar   with   self-perception  in  every 
phase  :  seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  tasting,  touch,  muscular 
consciousness,  nerve-testimony ;  feeling,  memory,  imagi- 


Great  is  Drill.  109 

nation,  reason,  Will,  moral  states.     Be  absolute  master 
here. 

Fifthly. —  In  regard  to  Self-control. 

1.  Habituate  normal  and  right  actions. 

2.  Eliminate  eccentricities. 

3.  Study  and  overcome  your  personal  faults. 

4.  Destroy  immoral,  injurious  and  obnoxious  habits. 

5.  Expend  no  unnecessary  amount  of  force  in  legiti- 
mate effort,  and  none  at  all  in  illegitimate. 

6.  Welcome  criticism ;   but  sift  it  thoroughly,  and 
then  act  upon  results. 

7.  Never  gratify  impulse  or  desire  if  either  offers  a 
single  chance  of  permanent  injury  to  the  highest  tone  of 
mind. 

8.  When  about  to  lose  self-control,  anticipate  conse- 
quences, and  foresee  especially  what  you  may  be  required 
to  do  in  order  to  regain  position. 

9.  Make  discipline  an  ally,  not  an  enemy. 
10.     Believe  mightily  in  yourself. 

n.     Unite  belief  in  self  with  faith  in  man. 

12.  Keep  the  loftiest  ideals  fresh  in  thought. 

13.  Never,  for  an  instant,  lose  consciousness  of  self 
as  a  willing  centre  of  power. 

SEVENTH  PRINCIPLE. 

"There  is  nothing  which  tends  so  much  to  the  success  of 
a  volitional  effort  as  a  confident  expectation  of  its  success" 
Cultivate,  therefore,  the  Mood  of  Expectancy. 


THE   RIDDLE. 


What  ho  !    Sir  Watchman  of  the  eye 

Aloft  amid  the  drain, 
Denote  to  me  the  mighty  sky 

All  round  the  tumbling  main; 
Report  the  vision  far  and  by  — 

Nought  from  the  truth  refrain. 

"  'Tis  as  the  captain  saith,"  quoth  eye ; 
"All  round  the  mighty  sky  — 
No  more  nor  less  see  I." 

Now,  tell  me,  empty  hole  of  life, 

Mere  socket  of  the  mind, 
What  is  thy  office,  echo's  wife, 

If  thou  thyself  art  blind  f 
Is 't  thine  to  see,  or  bandy  strife, 

An  't  please  you  to  be  kind  ? 

"  'Tis  as  the  captain  saith,"  quoth  eye ; 
"All  round  the  mighty  sky  — 
No  more  nor  less  see  I." 

Now,  Captain,  pray  the  riddle  clear ; 

Is  this  great  eye  a  knave  f 
"'Tis  as  he  holds"  quoth  captain  dear, 

"All  round  the  tumbling  wave ; 
And  that's  the  secret  full,  I  fear, 

Of  many  a  good  ship's  grave." 

"/  am  the  captain's  self,"  quoth  eye ; 
"  Who  scans  the  mighty  sky. 
No  more  nor  less  am  I." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EXERCISES  FOR  THE  EYE. 

IS  estimated  that  the  human  eye  is  capable 
of  distinguishing  100,000  different  colors,  or 
hues,  and  twenty  shades  or  tints  of  each  hue, 
making  a  total  of  2,000,000  color  sensations  which  may 
be  discriminated.  If  we  consider  the  infinite  variations 
in  the  color  of  earth,  of  plants  and  their  blossoms,  of 
clouds,  in  fact  of  all  natural  objects,  such  an  estimate  as 
this  hardly  seems  excessive." —  Dr.  Harold  Wilson. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 
The  whole  mind  in  the  eye  ; 
The  eye  an  index  of  white  honesty  ; 
The  straight  line  the  path  of  power. 

Epictetus  said  :  "  Did  God  give  the  eyes  for  noth- 
ing ?  And  was  it  for  nothing  that  He  mingled  in  them  a 
spirit  of  such  might  and  cunning  as  to  reach  a  long  way 
off  and  receive  the  impression  of  visible  forms  —  a  mes- 
senger so  swift  and  faithful  ?  Was  it  for  nothing  that  He 
gave  the  intervening  air  such  efficacy,  and  made  it  elastic, 
so  that  being,  in  a  manner  strained,  our  vision  should 
traverse  it?  Was  it  for  nothing  that  He  made  Light, 
without  which  there  were  no  benefit  of  any  other  thing  ? " 

PRELIMINARY. 

The  eye  exists  for  the  supreme  power  of  Will. 
Eye,  ether,  light,  are  ministers  to  the  soul.     The  eye 
may  be  brightened  in  its  gaze  by  energetic  summonsing 


112  Exercises  for  the  Eye. 

of  consciousness.  Emotions  of  joy,  fear,  hate,  love,  de- 
sire, aversion,  illustrate  this  deepening  influence  of  energy 
within.  These  emotions  may  be  simulated,  as  on  the 
stage,  at  the  imperious  call  of  Will.  If  so,  one  may 
acquire  a  keen  eye,  without  the  assistance  of  these  feel- 
ings, by  sheer  and  persistent  resolution. 

The  present  chapter  is  to  deal  with  the  eye.  It  may, 
nevertheless,  be  here  said  that  it  partakes  of  a  law  which 
obtains  with  all  the  organs  of  sense  :  "A  process  set  up 
anywhere  in  the  centres  reverberates  everywhere,  and  in  some 
way  or  other  affects  the  organism  throughout" 

Effort  at  Will-growth  by  means  of  exercise  of  the 
senses  will  bring  this  law  into  action.  Each  particular 
variety  of  practice  will  more  or  less  affect  the  whole  man 
—  that  is,  the  central  Will. 

Vision,  hearing,  taste,  smell  and  touch  depend  upon 
certain  stimulations  from  without  —  as  mechanical  (touch), 
molecular  (taste  and  smell),  physical  (sight,  hearing), 
muscular  (muscle  sense),  vital  (sense  of  life). 

But  at  times  the  required  stimulation  may  arise  within 
the  nervous  system.  Examples  :  In  referring  to  certain 
hallucinations,  a  Boston  physician  said,  "  The  cerebral 
processes  by  which  vision  is  produced  may  not  only  be 
started  in  the  brain  itself,  but  when  so  started,  they  are 
identical  with  those  set  going  by  an  objective  stimulus  in 
the  ordinary  way." 

Professor  Sully  says :  "  A  man  who  has  lost  his  sight 
may  be  able  to  picture  visible  objects.  The  brain  is  now 
able  to  act  independently  of  external  stimulation,  having 
acquired  a  disposition  so  to  act  through  previous  exercises 
under  external  stimulation." 

Two  remarks  may  now  be  made : 

The  Will  has  power  to  concentrate  energy  upon  a 
given  point  in  the.  organism.  "By  fixing  the  attention 


The  Eye  and  the    World  are  One.        113 

upon  certain  parts  of  the  body  the  blood  may  be  directed 
to  these  parts."  A  strong  attention  directed  to  the  eye 
enriches  its  various  elements.  "  In  looking  attentively  at 
anything,  the  various  ganglia  in  which  the  optic  nerve  is 
rooted  are  richly  supplied  with  blood,  and  the  end  organs 
of  vision  and  the  eye  muscles  are  vigorously  innervated." 

Similarly  attention  'increases  the  supply  of  nervous 
force  at  the  point  where  Will  is  focused. 

Vision  is  intensified  by  attention,  which  induces  a 
degree  of  muscular  effort :  —  physical  energy  from  within 
directed  to  appropriate  muscles.  "  In  all  close  attention 
there  is  a  feeling  of  tension  or  strain  which  appears  to 
indicate  muscular  effort.  As  Fechner  says,  in  looking 
steadfastly  this  feeling  is  referred  to  the  eye  ;  in  listening 
closely,  to  the  ear ;  in  trying  to  '  think  '  or  recollect,  to 
the  head  or  brain." 

"  Thus  it  is  presumable  that  when  we  attend  to  a 
visible  object  a  stream  of  (nerve-)  energy  flows  downward 
from  the  motor  centres,  partly  in  the  direction  of  the 
muscles,  and  more  particularly  the  ocular  muscles  which 
move  the  eye,  and  partly  in  that  of  the  sensory  centre  which 
is  concerned  in  the  reception  of  nervous  impressions." 

If  a  person  tries  to  grip  the  hand  of  a  paralyzed  arm, 
he  cannot,  but  muscular  effort  will  manifest  in  some  part 
of  his  body.  Energy  has  been  expended. 

In  other  words,  "  the  stimuli  that  excite  the  nervous 
force  or  irritability  are  of  two  kinds,  physical  and  mental. 
Physical  stimuli  embrace  all  external  excitants  of  whatever 
nature  —  light,  heat,  sound,  odor,  and  every  variety  of 
chemical,  mechanical,  and  galvanic  irritant.  Mental 
stimuli  result  from  the  exercise  of  the  Will  and  thought" 

The  Will  is  thus  the  power  back  of  vision. 

Professor  James  cites  the  case  of  a  girl,  born  without 
arms  or  legs,  who  "came  as  quickly  to  a  right  judgment 


U4  Exercises  for  the  Eye. 

of  the  size  and  distance  of  visible  objects  as  her  brothers 
and  sisters,  although  she  had  no  use  of  hands." 

Many  children  have  the  power  of  calling  up  "  queer  " 
forms  in  the  darkness. 

Cases  like  the  following  are  not  altogether  rare: 
"  A  man  in  the  Greek  island  of  Hydra  was  accustomed 
to  take  his  post  every  day  for  thirty  years  on  the  summit 
of  the  island,  and  look  out  for  the  approach  of  vessels ; 
and  although  there  were  over  three  hundred  sail  belonging 
to  the  island,  he  would  tell  the  name  of  each  one  as  she 
approached  with  unerring  certainty,  while  she  was  still  at 
such  a  distance  as  to  present  to  a  common  eye  only  a  con- 
fused white  blur  upon  the  clear  horizon."  The  long  prac- 
tice which  resulted  in  this  ability  involved  volitional  acts. 

The  greater  the  Will  (with  a  good  eye),  the  greater 
our  capacity  for  correct  vision. 

As  exercise  with  vision  improves  the  eye,  so  such 
exercise  augments  the  flow  of  energy  to  the  appropriate 
muscles  and  nerve-centres  connected  with  sight. 

Hence,  conversely,  all  right  exercises  with  the  eyes 
tend  to  growth  of  that  power  which  controls  the  eyes  — 
the  Will  —  provided  they  are  carried  on  with  that  end 
held  intensely  in  view. 

In  the  following  practice,  therefore,  the  mind  must 
take  on  energy,  and  it  must  energetically,  attend  to  the 
thing  in  hand  by  the  whole  of  itself,  excluding  all  other 
elements  of  perception.  This  will  at  first  be  difficult ;  as 
in  the  case  of  any  muscular  or  nervous  exertion.  But  to 
him  who  constantly  declares,  "  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL ! 
ATTENTION! !  "  perfect  power  of  continued  and  exclu 
sive  concentration  comes  at  last  to  be  second  nature. 

'•'•The  culminating  point  in  education  is  the  power  to 
attend  to  things  that  are  in  themselves  indifferent,  by  arousmg 
an  artificial  feeling  of  interest" 


The  Eye  and  the    World  are  One.       115 

Hence,  in  the  exercises  that  follow,  the  Mood  or 
feeling  of  Will  should  be  kept  strongly  in  mind. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  i.  Select  an  object  for  attention,  in  the 
room,  or  out  of  doors,  say,  a  chair  or  a  tree.  Gaze  at 
this  object  attentively,  persistently,  steadily.  Do  not 
strain  the  eyes ;  use  them  naturally.  Now  note  the 
object's  size.  Estimate  this.  Observe  its  distance  from 
yourself,  and  from  other  objects  around  it.  Note  its  shape. 
Determine  how  it  differs  in  shape  from  other  things  near 
it.  Clearly  note  its  color.  Does  it  in  this  harmonize  with 
its  surroundings  ?  If  so,  how  ?  If  not,  in  what  respect. 
Make  out  its  material.  How  was  it  made  ?  What  is 
its  true  purpose  ?  Is  it  serving  that  purpose  ?  Could  it 
in  any  way  be  improved  ?  How  might  this  improvement 
be  brought  about  ? 

In  seeking  the  above  information,  hold  mind  rigidly 
to  its  task.  It  will  be  hard  at  first ;  but  persistence  in 
the  exercise  will  ultimately  secure  ease  and  swiftness. 

Now,  without  looking  further  at  the  object,  write  out 
all  results  as  nearly  as  you  can  remember. 

Repeat  this  exercise  for  ten  days,  resting  two  days, 
one  of  which  should  be  Sunday,  with  the  same  object, 
and  on  the  tenth  day  look  at  the  object  and  observe 
improvement. 

Always  keep  the  Will-idea  in  mind. 

Exercise  No.  2.  At  a  moderate  gait  pass  once 
through  or  around  a  room,  observing,  quickly  and  atten- 
tively, as  many  objects  as  possible.  Now,  closing  the 
door  so  as  to  shut  out  the  room,  write  down  the  names  of 
all  articles  which  you  remember  at  that  time  to  have  seen. 
Depend  upon  your  memory,  not  your  knowledge. 


n6  Exercises  for  the  Eye. 

Repeat  this  exercise  for  ten  days  with  rest,  as  above, 
and  on  the  tenth  observe  improvement. 

Finally,  go  into  the  room  and  note  carefully  every 
object  which  you  have  not  discovered.  Estimate  the  per- 
centage of  your  failures. 

Exercise  No. 3.  Procure  twenty-five  or  thirty  marbles, 
of  medium  size.  Let  eight  or  ten  be  red,  eight  or  ten 
yellow,  eight  or  ten  white.  Place  in  an  open  box  and 
thoroughly  mingle  the  colors.  Now,  seize  one  handful, 
with  right  and  left  hand  at  once,  and  let  the  marbles  roll 
out  together  onto  a  covered  surface,  of  a  table  or  the  floor. 
When  they  are  at  rest,  glance  once  at  the  lot,  and,  turning 
away,  write  the  number,  as  you  recall  (do  not  guess)  for 
each  color. 

Repeat  this  exercise  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on 
the  tenth  day,  estimate  your  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Procure  fifty  pieces  of  cardboard, 
two  inches  square,  each  having  one  letter  printed  upon  it 
in  plain,  good-sized  type.  Place  them  all,  scattered,  letters 
down,  upon  a  table.  Take  in  one  hand  ten  of  these 
squares,  face  down,  and  throw,  face  up,  all  at  once,  but 
so  as  to  separate  them,  upon  the  table.  Now,  look  at 
them  sharply  one  instant.  Then  turn  away,  and  write 
down  the  letters  recalled.  Immediately  repeat  this  exer- 
cise with  ten  other  cards.  Immediately  repeat  with  ten 
other  cards.  Repeat  these  three  exercises  for  ten  days, 
with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement  for  each 
successive  corresponding  throw  over  first. 

The  above  exercises  should  all  be  practised  each  day, 
for  ten  days,  at  least.  They  may  be  continued  indefinitely 
with  profit,  both  to  attention  and  to  the  Will.  But  the 
rest  periods  must  be  observed. 


The  Eye  and  the    World  are  One.       117 

Exercise  No.  5.  Let  the  eyes  be  wide  open,  but  not 
disagreeably  distended.  The  gaze  should  now  be  directed 
straight  in  front,  with  every  power  of  attention  alert.  Try 
to  observe,  without  turning  the  eyes  a  hair's  breadth,  all 
objects  in  the  field  of  vision,  while  gazing  ten  seconds, 
determined  by  slow  counting.  Write  out  the  names  of  all 
objects  recalled.  Depend  upon  memory,  not  knowledge. 

Repeat  the  exercise  ten  days,  with  rest,  as  above, 
always  from  the  same  position,  looking  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, to  preserve  the  same  exercise,  and  on  the  tenth  day 
note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  6.  Repeat  the  above  exercise  in  all 
respects  except  that  the  position  and  field  of  vision  of 
each  day  is  to  be  different  from  those  preceding,  and  on 
the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Observe  :  Counting  off  the  seconds  is  a  slower  pro- 
cess than  is  ordinarily  supposed.  The  speed  with  which 
one  must  count  in  order  to  pronounce  "  sixty  "  at  the  end 
of  a  minute  may  be  easily  noted  by  counting  while  follow- 
ing with  the  eyes  the  second-hand  of  a  watch  as  it  moves 
once  around  the  minute-circle. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Gaze  steadily,  winking  naturally,  at 
some  object  not  very  far  away,  say,  ten  or  sixty  feet. 
Keep  the  mind  intently  upon  the  object.  Count  sixty  to 
a  minute  while  so  gazing  intently  and  observingly.  Now, 
shut  the  eyes,  and  strive  to  call  up  a  mental  image  of  the 
object. 

With  some  people  the  image  may  be  as  vividly 
defined  as  the  real  object.  With  most,  probably,  it  will 
not  be  so  vivid.  Look  up  that  word  "  vivid."  Write  a 
description  of  the  image,  whether  clear  or  indistinct,  with 
all  parts  mentally  seen.  Do  not  help  the  writing  by  look- 
ing a  second  time  at  the  object ;  trust  the  image.  Repeat 


n8  Exercises  for  the  Eye. 

this  exercise  on  ten  different  objects  on  the  same  day. 
Repeat  these  exercises  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  as  above, 
making  and  marking  records  each  day,  and  on  the  tenth 
day  note  improvement. 

Although  the  time  set  for  practice  is  ten  days,  the 
exercises  may  be  profitably  continued  for  any  length  of 
time. 

Remember:  the  purpose  here  is  to  learn  to  see 
things  as  they  are,  and  to  impress  them  upon  mind. 
Great  improvement,  both  in  distinctness  of  vision  and  in 
details  of  single  mental  objects  may  thus  be  made  as 
practice  goes  on.  The  essential  thing,  now,  is  patience 
and  persistence.  Whether  the  mental  image  may  be  cul- 
tivated so  that  the  mental  objects  shall  assume  the  electric 
or  sunlit  tone,  seems  doubtful.  But,  within  certain  limits, 
the  eye  of  the  soul  will  come  to  see  more  and  more  clearly 
as  persistent  endeavor  continues.  Especially  will  this  be 
the  case  if  the  soul  steadfastly  wills  that  it  be  so. 

The  value  of  the  end  sought  —  clear  perception — con- 
nects ultimately  with  the  consideration  of  motives.  This 
requires  that  things  shall  be  seen  as  they  actually  are, 
that  outcomes  or  consequences  shall  be  vividly  noted,  in 
themselves  individually  and  as  comprehended  in  groups, 
in  order  that  their  full  effect  upon  mind  may  be  felt,  and 
that  adequate  comparison  among  motives  may  be  insti- 
tuted. These  exercises  cultivate  eye-perception,  memory, 
mental  vision  and  self-control.  The  end  of  all  is  the 
developed  Will. 

Exercise  No.  8.  Lastly,  the  eye  may  be  trained  to 
directness  of  gaze.  Some  eyes  never  look  into  other  eyes 
steadily,  but  glance  and  shift  from  eye  to  object,  here  and 
there,  without  purpose  or  gain.  Some  public  speakers 
never  look  squarely  into  the  faces  of  their  auditors,  but 


The  Eye  and  the    World  are  One.       119 

gaze  either  up  at  the  ceiling  or  down  to  the  floor,  or  roam 
over  all  their  hearers,  seeing  none.  One  of  the  subtlest 
elements  of  inspiration  is  thus  missed  —  the  face,  mouth, 
eyes,  attitude  of  eager  humanity.  As  a  rule,  a  large 
element  in  successful  personal  address  lies  in  the  eye. 
Directness  of  gaze  is  psychological  winner.  The  straight- 
forward, frank  eye,  is  a  power  wherever  it  is  seen  —  on 
the  street,  in  the  store,  at  the  social  gathering,  on  the 
rostrum. 

The  might  of  a  good  eye  can  be  cultivated.  In  order 
to  this,  mind  must  be  put  into  the  "  windows  of  the  soul." 
What  men  get  out  of  life  and  nature  depends  upon  the 
amount  of  mind  that  can  be  put  into  the  look.  If  reality 
is  to  be  possessed,  mind  must  come  forward  and  take  it 
"by  force."  The  soul  in  the  eye  means  power  with  men. 
Cultivate,  therefore,  with  every  person  met,  the  habit  of 
the  direct  and  steady  look.  Do  not  stare.  Look  people 
full  in  the  eyes.  The  soul  must  always  be  in  the  eye  for 
this  exercise.  Let  the  gaze  be  open,  frank,  friendly. 
And  remember,  that  the  vacant  stare  is  a  sign  of  idiocy, 
and  in  the  domain  of  Will  is  ruled  out. 

Exercise  No.  9.  Gaze  steadily,  but  winking  naturally, 
at  a  small  spot  on  the  wall  of  a  room,  eight  or  ten  feet 
away.  Do  not  strain  the  eyes.  Count  fifty  while  so  gaz- 
ing. Keep  mind  wholly  on  the  thought :  The  Direct 
Eye.  Put  back  of  that  thought  the  Mood  of  a  strong 

Will  :       "  I  WILL  !     I  AM  FORCING  WlLL  INTO  THE  EYE." 

Repeat  this  exercise  ten  times  for  ten  days,  with  rest, 
as  above,  adding  each  day  to  the  count  fifty,  twenty 
counts ;  thus :  first  day,  fifty  ;  second  day,  seventy ;  third 
day,  ninety ;  etc. 

Exercise  No.  zo.  A  dull  gaze  is  akin  to  the  vacant 
stare.  The  steady,  direct  look  ought  to  be  bright  and  full 


I2O  Exercises  for  the  Eye. 

of  energy.  The  energy  of  the  eye's  regard  may  be  devel- 
oped, and  with  profit,  if  the  soul  behind  it  is  honest. 

Gaze  at  any  object  in  the  room  near  by,  steadily,  but 
naturally,  that  is  permitting  the  eyes  to  wink  as  they  will. 
Put  the  whole  soul  into  the  eyes.  Observe,  the  soul  is  to 
be  put  into  the  eyes,  not  into  or  upon  the  object.  And  do 
not  look  at  the  nose ;  look  at  the  object,  but  bring  con- 
sciousness forward  to  its  windows.  Summons  your  entire 
energy  to  the  act  of  looking.  Do  this  repeatedly,  resting 
properly,  and  never  permitting  the  eyes  to  grow  weary  or 
to  be  strained. 

Now,  think  of,  and  simulate,  some  emotion,  and  try  to 
look  that  feeling  with  great  power.  Examples  :  Intense 
interest  —  Throw  delighted  attention  into  the  eyes.  Deep 
joy  —  Assume  a  genuine  joyful  feeling  and  expression. 
Avoid  the  grinning  mimicry  of  the  clown.  Fierce  hate  — 
Blaze  a  look  at  the  ink-stand  sufficient  to  annihilate  its 
black  shape.  Thus  with  all  emotions  of  the  soul. 

Repeat  these  exercises  daily  for  months.  It  is  really 
worth  while.  After  a  time  you  will  discover  that  you  are 
the  possessor  of  a  good  eye,  and  that  your  power  of  Will 
has  grown  correspondingly. 

Meanwhile,  having  caught  the  knack  of  calling  the 
mind's  energy  to  the  act  of  looking,  persist  in  gazing  with 
all  possible  forcefulness  at  all  persons  and  objects  met. 
Acquire  the  habit  of  throwing,  not  the  eye  upon  the  object, 
but  the  soul  into  the  eye  as  it  regards  the  object,  and  the 
idea  of  Will  clear  forward  in  the  consciousness.  In  other 
words,  cultivate  the  habit  of  the  direct  and  penetrating 
regard,  avoiding  the  stare  and  all  violations  of  good  taste. 

The  eye  of  the  average  interested  child  is  bright,  full 
of  soul-power,  "  magnetic ;  "  —  unless  it  happen  to  be  an 
infant  still  in  the  thraldom  of  arms,  when  the  human  gaze 
frequently  becomes  something  uncanny,  preternaturally 


The  Eye  and  the    World  are   One.      121 

capable  of  disconcerting  sinners,  and  altogether  above  the 
plane  of  practical  illustration.  The  four-year-old,  the 
saintly  mother,  and  the  righteous  police  judge,  have  all 
straightforward  and  powerful  eyes.  The  eye  of  Saint 
Michael  is  surely  like  his  sword.  The  regard  of  the  man 
Jesus  must  have  been  equal  to  His  word  —  naked  verity. 
Hence  the  two  secrets  of  masterful  eyes  are,  directness 
and  honesty.  Here,  after  all,  lies  the  foundation  of  Will- 
culture  :  straightforward  means  —  honest  purposes. 

Exercise  No.  n.  Having  acquired  the  art  of  putting 
soul  into  the  act  of  vision,  straightforward  and  honest, 
now  resolve  on  seeing,  naming  and  knowing  the  various 
objects  that  exist  in  your  neighborhood,  and  on  any  street 
or  road  over  which  you  may  pass.  Cultivate  the  habit  of 
intelligent  and  accurate  observation.  It  is  said  that  "  in 
Siberia  a  traveler  found  men  who  could  see  the  satellites 
of  Jupiter  with  the  naked  eye."  Multitudes  fail  to  see  a 
thousand  things  which  they  pass  daily  during  life.  A 
Will-fed  eye  is  a  rich  minister  to  the  values  of  life. 
Browning's  lines  are  symbolic  of  the  outcome  : 

"German  Boehme  never  cared  for  plants 
Until  it  happed,  a-walking  in  the  fields, 
He  noticed  all  at  once  that  plants  could  speak, 
Nay,  turned  with  loosened  tongue  to  talk  with  him. 
That  day  the  daisy  had  an  eye  indeed!" 

A  great  law  now  emerges  :  The  value  of  the  use  of 
any  sense  depends  upon  the  amount  and  quality  of  person 
thrown  into  its  exercise. 

The  person  who  unceasingly  asserts  to  his  eyes :  "  I 
RESOLVE  TO  WILL !  ATTENTION  I !  "  cannot  fail 
to  develop  a  look  or  gaze  which  is  perennially  direct  and 
full  of  energy. 


THE  SOUL  AND   THE   EAR. 


How  marvelous  the  '  'great  within  " 

Of  mind !    From  life's  incessant  din 

It  chooses  as  it  will, 

With  a  weaver's  skill, 

Sounds  for  its  need,  and  builds  a  scheme 

Of  use  or  thought,  or,  in  the  dream 

Begotten  by  sweet  reverie, 

A  flower  of  heavenly  harmony. 

Simple  motion 

Of  the  vast  ocean 

Unseen  around  us  breaks  on  the  strand 

Of  soul — and  we  understand! 

We  understand,  for  we  are 

SouFs  hearing,  or  love  or  war. 

All  knowing'1  s  self-made.     What  self  heart 

Self  is,  in  concentric  spheres 

Outrunning  on  the  larger  tide; 

JVay,  giving  this  its  being  wide. 

The  ear  but  adds  ethereal  teats, 

The  self  reality  completes  : 

Building  a  hut  of  jarring  sound, 

A  prison  set  with  discord  round, 

A  palace  royal  fit  for  kings, 

A  temple  meet  for  worshippings, 

Aye,  God's  great  Universe  of  Truth, 

Of  beauty,  life  and  deathless  youth, 

Wherein  huge  organs  thunder, 

Filling  with  wonder 

Soul  for  that  it  surely  is 

One  with,  master  of,  this. 

—THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  X. 

EXERCISES  FOR  THE  EAR. 

HAD  an  opportunity  of  repeatedly  observing 
the  peculiar  manner  in  which  he  (Dr.  Saun- 
derson)  arranged  his  ideas  and  acquired  his 
information.  Whenever  he  was  introduced  into  company, 
I  remarked  that  he  continued  some  time  silent.  The 
sound  directed  him  to  judge  of  the  dimensions  of  the 
room,  and  the  different  voices  of  the  number  of  persons 
that  were  present.  His  distinction  in  these  respects  was 
very  accurate,  and  his  memory  so  retentive  that  he  was 
seldom  mistaken.  I  have  known  him  instantly  recognize 
a  person  on  first  hearing  him,  though  more  than  two 
years  had  elapsed  since  the  time  of  their  meeting."  — 
Manchester  Philosophical  Memoirs. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 

The  discriminating  mind  in  the  ear  ; 
The  mind  master  of  hearing  ; 

Direct   improvement  of  Will  through  willed  employ- 
ment of  this  sense. 

"Well,  early  in  autumn,  at  first  winter-warning, 
When  the  stag  had  to  break  with  his  foot,  of  a  morning, 
A  drinking-hole  out  of  the  fresh,  tender  ice, 
That  covered  the  pond  till  the  sun,  in  a  trice, 
Loosening  it,  let  out  a  ripple  of  gold, 
And  another  and  another,  and  faster, 
Till,  dimpling  to  blindness,  the  wide  water  rolled." 


124  Exercises  for  the  Ear. 

PRELIMINARY. 

If  you  can  see  that  picture  from  Browning,  you 
probably  can  hear  the  sounds  that  go  with  it. 

Natural  defects  aside,  one  good  sense-power  assists 
all  the  senses.  When  attention  of  the  eye  begins,  the 
ear  often  follows.  Here  is  the  first  communion.  Hence 
three  questions  arise : 

Do  you  hear  ?  Do  you  hear  correctly  ?  Do  you  hear 
•what  you  wish  to  hear  ? 

Sounds  are  produced  by  vibrations  in  the  atmosphere. 
The  human  ear  is  limited  in  its  ability  to  respond  to  these 
vibrations.  Within  such  natural  limits,  the  more  sounds 
one  can  make  out  the  better  one's  hearing.  Loss  of 
sounds  is  due  to  defects  of  ear  and  abstraction  of  mind. 

If  one  hears  all  noises  does  one  necessarily  hear  cor- 
rectly ?  That  is,  is  the  soul  always  in  the  ear  ?  To 
distinguish  tone,  quality,  direction,  etc.,  of  sounds?  Is 
any  difference  obtaining  in  this  respect  due  to  endowment 
or  education  ?  Or  both  ?  Probably  the  latter  is  true. 
The  value  of  exercises,  therefore,  to  train  the  ear  —  to 
unfold  latent  powers  —  is  evident. 

Hearing  what  one  wishes  to  hear  may  involve  exclu- 
sion :  one  desires  to  shut  out  a  noise.  Or  inclusion :  one 
wishes  to  enjoy,  truly,  deeply,  certain  sounds,  harmonies, 
music.  All  depends,  now,  on  the  soul.  The  nervous 
person  hears  everything.  The  dull  person  hears  little. 

Hearing  may  be  shut  out  by  Will.  The  door  is 
closed  to  a  certain  sound.  Hearing  may  be  rendered 
more  acute  by  Will.  "  Listen  !  A  far-off  bird  is  singing  1 " 
"Sh  1  A  burglar  is  in  the  house ! "  Education  in  correct- 
ness of  ear  is  preeminently  a  matter  of  Will ;  —  but  of  the 
persistent  Will.  The  control  of  the  ear  exhibits  some  of 
the  highest  phases  of  self  direction.  The  educated  soul 
now  mounts  up  on  wings  through  the  realm  of  harmony. 


"A  Harp  0/8,700  Strings"  125 

But  feeling,  thought,  imagination,  are  here  the  mas- 
ters. To  hear  in  the  best  sense  involves  the  soul.  Other 
things  being  equal,  the  largest  soul  hears  most,  most  cor- 
rectly, and  with  greatest  powers  of  appreciation  and 
appropriation. 

The  purpose  of  the  exercises  that  follow  is,  as  with 
those  for  the  eye,  development  of  ability  to  consider 
motives  through  discipline  of  attention,  and  thus  the 
growth  of  intelligent  Will-power. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  i.  How  many  sounds  are  now  demand- 
ing your  attention  ?  Count  them.  Listen  1  Try  to  dis- 
tinguish :  —  Their  different  directions ;  their  different 
causes ;  their  different  tones ;  their  difference  in  strength  ; 
their  different  qualities  ;  their  different  groupings. 

Repeat  this  exercise  for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two 
days,  and  on  the  tenth  day  estimate  the  improvement 
made. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Single  out  some  one  prominent 
sound,  and  note  everything  which  you  can  possibly  say 
about  it. 

Repeat  this  exercise  ten  times  on  the  first  day  with  a 
different  sound.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for 
ten  days,  with  rest  of  two  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note 
improvement. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Select  the  faintest  sound  that  con- 
tinues coming  to  you.  In  doing  this  try  to  distinguish 
some  regular  sound  which  you  have  not  hitherto  noticed. 
Note  everything  that  can  be  said  concerning  it. 

Repeat  this  exercise  ten  times  on  the  first  day,  with 
a  different  sound.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for 
ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 


126  Exercises  for  the  Ear. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Single  out  some  one  of  the  sounds 
that  come  regularly  to  you.  Attend  to  this  sound  alone. 
Shut  out  all  other  sounds.  Be  filled  with  it.  Become 
absorbed  in  it  Note  everything  which  can  be  said  of  it. 

Repeat  this  exercise  ten  times  on  the  first  day,  with 
a  different  sound.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten 
days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Select  the  most  pleasant  sound  that 
continues  to  come  to  you.  Note  all  possible  reasons  for 
its  pleasantness.  Do  not  fall  into  revery. 

Repeat  this  exercise  ten  times  on  its  first  day  with  a 
different  sound.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten 
days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  6.  Listen  carefully  once  to  some  simple 
melody  played  upon  an  organ  or  a  piano.  Try  now  to 
build  up  in  your  soul  that  melody  entirely  from  memory. 
You  may  remember  a  note  or  two,  but  will  forget  the  most 
of  it.  If,  however,  you  are  persistent,  you  can  gradually 
reconstruct  the  lost  tune.  The  author  has  often  accom- 
plished this  building  up  of  music.  Make  the  exercise  a 
frequent  task. 

Exercise  No.  7.  While  one  is  striking  the  keys  of  a 
piano,  first  one,  then  another,  endeavor,  without  looking 
at  the  player,  to  distinguish  the  notes,  whether  sharp  or 
flat,  position  on  the  board,  and  name  of  each  note. 

Repeat  with  two  keys,  one  hand  striking. 

Repeat  with  four  keys,  both  hands  striking. 

Repeat  with  full  chord,  one  hand  striking. 

Repeat  with  full  chords,  both  hands  striking. 

Practice  in  the  above  exercises  should  be  continued 
until  you  can  detect  improvement  in  compass  of  hearing, 
correctness  of  hearing,  control  over  hearing.  Do  not  be- 


"A  Harp  0/8,700  Strings"  127 

come  discouraged.  The  purpose  is  Will.  Resolve  to  go 
on  to  the  end.  That  end  is  Will-power. 

Do  nothing  without  thought.  Put  the  soul  into  the 
ear  in  all  these  exercises,  willing,  with  great  energy,  atten- 
tion to  all  sounds,  or  to  one,  or  to  none,  as  the  case 
may  be. 

Carry  the  Mood  of  Will  through  every  exercise. 

Exclusion  of  sound  is  often  an  exhibition  of  Will, 
both  in  the  act  of  shutting  sounds  out,  and  in  controlling 
the  nerves  in  regard  to  sounds  which  refuse  to  vanish. 
Why,  then,  should  not  a  more  regulated  and  conscious 
mastery  of  ear  be  acquired  ? 

Perhaps  your  hearing  is  defective  and  you  are  not 
aware  of  the  fact.  Or  the  defect  may  be  due  to  a  want 
of  acute  attention.  In  order  to  ascertain  the  real  difficulty, 
the  following  exercise  is  suggested : 

Exercise  No.  8.  When  all  is  quiet,  hold  a  watch  at 
arm's  length  from  the  right  ear.  Do  you  hear  it  ticking  ? 
No  ?  Move  the  watch  gradually  nearer  the  ear  until  you 
hear.  Note  the  distance  at  which  the  ticking  first  becomes 
audible.  Write  the  result  and  mark,  "  Ear  No.  6,"  and 
date.  Repeat  this  exercise  ten  times  on  its  first  day. 
Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest, 
and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Meanwhile  induce  several  other  persons  to  practise 
the  same  exercise  so  far  as  to  ascertain  the  distance  at 
which  they  can  hear  the  ticking  of  the  same  watch. 

During  the  ten  days  repeat  all  the  exercises  with  the 
left  ear,  correctly  marking  results. 

If  you  make  no  improvement  in  hearing,  this  may 
still  be  due  to  a  constitutional  limit.  Continue  the  prac- 
tice until  you  are  satisfied  that  your  hearing  cannot  be 
improved.  Then  consult  a  physician. 


128  Exercises  for  the  Ear. 

If  you  do  not  hear  as  well  as  others,  this  also  may  be 
due  to  constitutional  limit.  It  will,  nevertheless,  be  wise 
to  consult  a  physician. 

Perhaps  certain  sounds  which  you  hear  incessantly 
are  destroying  you  with  the  threat  of  nervous  prostration 
or  insanity.  Your  dear  neighbor's  piano  played  through 
everlasting  hours,  or  his  dog  barking  all  night  long,  of 
street  hawkers,  become  evidences  of  civilization's  chaos. 
Procure  the  cessation  of  these  sounds,  if  possible.  If  not, 
resolve  to  shut  them  out  of  mind.  Hence  : 

Exercise  No.  g.  Never  fight  disagreeable  noises  by 
attending  to  them.  Select  some  particularly  hateful  sound 
which  comes  to  you  regularly.  Make  this  a  practice  for 
the  day.  Now,  by  an  enormous  effort  of  Will  attend  so 
powerfully  to  some  other  sound  or  many  sounds  as  to  shut 
out  the  one  you  wish  to  banish.  Continue  this  effort  five 
minutes.  Do  not  become  discouraged.  You  can  do  this 
act  of  exclusion  if  you  will  to  do  it.  After  five  minutes, 
rest,  by  turning  the  attention  away  from  sounds  in  general. 
Then  repeat  the  exercise  by  shutting  out  the  sound  ten 
minutes.  Give  the  matter  a  half-hour,  increasing  the  time 
of  exclusion  of  sound  with  each  exercise  a  few  minutes, 
and  resting  between  efforts  by  diverting  attention  to  other 
things. 

Vary  the  effort  to  exclude  sound  by  attending  with 
great  energy  to  some  agreeable  thought. 

Do  not  will  directly  to  shut  a  sound  out  of  the  ear. 
Will  to  become  directly  absorbed  in  other  sounds  or  in 
other  matters  of  thought.  Repeat  these  exercises  until 
you  are  master. 

Exercise  No.  10.     At  night,  when  you  are  disturbed 
by  hideous  noises,  stop  thinking  about  them. 
Insist  that  you  do  not  care,  anyway. 


"A  Harp  0/8,700  Strings:'  129 

Think  of  a  particularly  pleasant  tune  ;  or  thought ; 
or  experience.  Do  not  work :  take  the  matter  easily. 

Call  up,  mentally,  a  sound  which  is  totally  different 
from  the  one  that  disturbs  you.  Cause  it  to  run  in  the 
mind,  taking  care  that  it  has  a  certain  regularity  and 
rhythm.  Imagine  the  loud  ticking  of  a  large  clock,  or 
the  droning  of  an  old-fashioned  water-wheel,  or  the  steady 
booming  of  the  sea. 

Remember,  that  all  thought  about  the  hateful  sound 
only  intensifies  its  power  over  you.  To  rage  at  a  bark- 
ing dog  signifies  one  of  two  consequences :  the  death  of 
the  dog  (possibly  of  its  owner),  or  more  nervousness  on 
the  part  of  the  man  who  has  no  Will.  Similarly  with  other 
disturbing  noises.  The  Will  that  masters  them  is  a  grow- 
ing Will.  The  growing  Will  comes  of  intelligent  exercise, 
with  the  Will-idea  always  present,  "  I  RESOLVE  TO 
WILL  1  ATTENTION  1 !  " 

Everybody  knows  how  acute  the  hearing  of  the  blind 
becomes,  probably  as  Dr.  M.  P.  Hatfield  has  observed, 
"  not  because  they  have  any  better  hearing  than  the  rest 
of  us,  but  because  their  misfortune  makes  them  contin- 
ually cultivate  their  hearing,  for  like  all  of  our  faculties  it 
is  susceptible  of  very  great  improvement  under  culti- 
vation." 

The  power  of  the  soul  to  become  so  absorbed  in  itself 
as  to  lose  consciousness  of  all  around  it,  is  illustrated  by 
an  incident  in  the  life  of  Thomas  Aquinas.  "  Upon  one 
of  the  many  occasions  when  he  sat  at  the  table  of  the  king, 
by  invitation,  he  forgot  everything  going  on  about  him, 
sunk  in  reflection  upon  some  difficult  question  in  theology, 
with  which  he  had  been  engrossed ;  suddenly  he  cried 
out,  striking  the  table  with  his  fist  '  I  have  got  it.'  "  He 
had  heard  and  observed  nothing  but  the  important  thing 
in  hand. 


130  Exercises  for  the  Ear. 

So,  also,  the  soul  may  become  so  habituated  to  the 
routine  of  duty  that  accustomed  calls  to  duty  are  recog- 
nized while  all  other  appeals  are  made  in  vain.  Thus  a 
telegraphic  operator,  overpowered  by  sleep,  could  not  be 
awakened  by  any  ordinary  knocking  at  his  door,  but 
when  his  station,  "  Springfield,"  was  rapped  out  he 
immediately  aroused.  A  fire-department  chief  was  said 
when  asleep  to  be  deaf  to  his  baby's  cry,  while  instantly 
alert  to  the  alarm  of  his  gong.  Sleeping  sentinels  some- 
times walk  their  beats,  soldiers  march  when  buried  in 
slumber,  and  riders  guide  their  horses  though  the  body 
rests.  These  and  similar  incidents  reveal  the  Will  still 
dominant.  If  so,  the  ear  and  all  senses  may  be  brought 
under  its  perfect  control. 

Remember :  The  value  of  any  sense  depends  upon  the 
amount  and  quality  of  soul  thrown  into  its  exercise. 

"  Not  only  awaking  from  sleep  do  we  immediately 
recognize  what  the  objects  around  us  are,  because,  in 
fact,  we  have  the  memories  or  images  of  them  already  in 
our  minds,"  says  Edward  Carpenter  in  "  The  Art  of  Cre- 
ation ;"  but  the  simplest  observation  of  things  involves  a 
similar  antecedent  condition — the  knowing  what  to  look 
for.  How  hard  to  '  find  the  cat '  in  the  picture,  or  the 
wood-cock  in  the  autumn  leaves,  till  the  precise  image  of 
what  one  wants  to  see  is  already  in  the  mind,  and  then, 
how  easy  1  The  townsman  walking  along  the  high-road 
perceives  not  the  hare  that  is  quietly  watching  him  from 
the  farther  field.  Even  when  the  countryman  points  it 
out  with  all  circumstance,  he  fails ;  because  the  kind  of 
thing  he  is  to  see  is  not  already  in  his  mind.  Why  is  it 
so  difficult  to  point  the  constellations  to  one  who  has 
never  considered  them  before  ?  The  sky  is  simply  a  mass 
of  stars;  it  is  the  mind  that  breaks  it  into  forms.  Or 
why,  looking  down  from  a  cliff  upon  the  sea,  do  we  isolate 


"A  Harp  0/8,700  Strings"  131 

a  wave  and  call  it  one  ?  It  is  not  isolated ;  no  mortal 
could  tell  where  it  begins  or  leaves  off ;  it  is  just  a  part 
of  the  sea.  It  is  not  one ;  it  is  millions  and  millions  of 
drops ;  and  even  these  millions  are  from  moment  to  mo- 
ment changing,  moving.  Why  do  we  isolate  it  and  call  it 
one  ?  There  is  some  way  of  looking  at  things,  some  pre- 
conception already  at  work,  in  all  cases,  which  determines, 
or  helps  to  determine,  what  we  see,  and  how  we  see  it. 
All  nature  thus  is  broken  and  sorted  by  the  mind ;  and 
as  far  as  we  can  see  this  is  true  of  the  simplest  act  of  dis- 
crimination or  sensation  —  the  knower  selects,  supplies, 
ignores,  compares,  contributes  something  without  which 
the  discrimination  or  sensation  would  not  be." 

Since  this  statement  is  law,  your  sound-world  — 
that  which  you  construct  by  your  choices  and  thought- 
fecling — depends  upon  yourself.  And  the  deeper  and 
richer  is  your  consciousness  in  a  state  of  harmony,  the 
larger  and  richer  will  be  your  life  in  all  the  products  of 
sensation.  This  means  that  you  should  cultivate  the 
mental  life  in  as  great  and  harmonious  a  variety  as  possi- 
ble, and  that  the  senses  should  be  so  trained  that  through 
them  you  may  get  the  most  out  of  living  and  put  the 
most  of  self  into  life  and  Nature.  If  you  will  carry  the 
assertion  and  the  feeling  :  I  am  now  conscious  of  myself  in 
relation  to  the  world — now  of  sounds,  now  of  vision,  etc. — 
I  am  attending  to  these  worlds  (one  or  another),  putting 
myself  into  them,  drawing  from  them  constant  values,  you 
will  find  your  life-consciousness,  your  world-conscious- 
ness, your  soul-consciousness,  growing  broader,  deeper, 
more  satisfying  and  more  potent  for  your  own  good  from 
month  to  month  and  year  to  year. 


TASTE 


I  pluck  an  apple  front  its  tree 
And  taste  its  perfect  meat; 

Lo,  in  the  act,  Reality 

Crosses  the  gulf  of  mystery 
My  self  to  greet. 

The  budding  ner-ves  upon  the  tongue 

Link  brain  ivith  realms  unseen  : 
Mind  leaps  the  void  around  it  flung 
And  stands  a  king  all  kings  among, 
Equal,  serene. 

The  fruit  of  life  is  self  matured; 

The  world  is  but  my  thought; 
And  self  comes  great  as  self  is  lured 
From  self  in  lower  self  immured : 

All  V  mine  as  sought. 


—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XL 

EXERCISES   IN  TASTE. 

[E  German  Physiologist,  Valentin,  could  detect 
bitter  at  ioo,oooth  of  a  solution  of  quinine. 

"  Taste  can  be  educated,  as  the  nice  discrim- 
inations of  the  professional  tea-tasters  show.  In  subcon- 
scious conditions  it  is  also  abnormally  acute." — Text 
Book. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 

A  discriminating  mind  in  taste ; 

A  cultivated  mind  in  taste ; 

Willed  attention  habituating  the  Mood  of  Will. 

PRELIMINARY. 

"  The  ordinary  individual,  "  remarks  Mary  Whiton 
Calkins  in  "An  Introduction  to  Psychology,"  "  asked  to 
name  what  he  had  tasted  at  dinner,  might  respond  with 
some  such  list  as  the  following :  beef-bouillon,  roast  duck, 
potato,  onion,  dressed  celery,  peach  ice  and  coffee.  But 
the  psychologist  would  conclude  at  once  that  some  of  the 
tastes  enumerated  were  complex  experiences,  made  up  of 
simpler  elements.  He  would  take  means  to  isolate,  so  far 
as  he  could,  the  conditions  of  taste,  so  that  other  sense- 
elements  should  be  shut  out  from  consciousness.  He  would 
select,  as  subject  of  the  experiments,  a  person  without 
smell-sensations,  or  else  he  would  close  the  subject's 
nostrils,  so  as  to  eliminate  most  of  these  smell-sensations ; 


134  Exercises  in    Taste. 

and  he  would  certainly  blindfold  the  subject,  to  prevent 
his  seeing  the  articles  which  he  tasted.  These  substances 
would  be  presented  to  him  at  an  even  temperature,  and 
the  solids  would  be  finely  minced  so  as  to  be  indistinguish- 
able in  form.  Judging  by  the  results  of  actual  experi- 
ments, the  results  of  such  a  test  as  applied  to  our  sug- 
gested menu,  would  be  the  following:  the  blindfolded 
and  anosmic  (without  smell-sensations)  subject  would  as 
likely  as  not  suppose  that  he  had  tasted  chicken  broth, 
beef,  potato,  an  unknown  sweetish  substance,  another 
unknown  material  mixed  with  a  thick  tasteless  oil,  a 
sweet  unflavored  substance  and  a  slightly  bitter  liquid  — 
perhaps  a  dilute  solution  of  quinine.  A  normal  person, 
also  blindfolded,  but  without  closed  nostrils,  would  recog- 
nize the  onion,  the  peach,  the  coffee  and  often  the  olive 
oil ;  but  would  be  as  likely  to  confuse  the  beef  and  the  duck ; 
whereas,  if  these  were  unsalted,  the  anosmic  subject  would 
fail  to  recognize  them  even  as  meats. 

"  What  we  know  of  the  different  tastes  are  complex 
experiences,  made  up  of  odors,  motor  experiences,  pressure 
and  pain  sensations,  visual  elements  and  a  far  more 
limited  number  of  taste-elements  than  we  ordinarily  sup- 
pose. The  odor  is  the  significant  element  in  such  '  tastes  ' 
as  egg,  milk,  fruit,  wine,  onion,  chocolate,  coffee  and  tea. 
Tea  and  coffee  are,  indeed,  undistinguished  from  quinine, 
when  the  odor  elements  are  excluded,  and  are  differenti- 
ated from  each  other  only  by  the  slight  astringency  of  the 
tea,  that  is  by  the  peculiar  pressure-experience,  the  '  puck- 
ering,' which  it  excites. 

"  The  number  of  tastes  seems  to  be  four :  sweet, 
salt,  sour  and  bitter.  But  of  the  physical  stimuli  of 
taste-sensations  we  know  even  less  than  of  the  indef- 
initely localized  physiological  organ.  Chemically  dis- 
tinct substances  may  even  arouse  the  same  sensational 


Work  is  the  Sitter-Sweet  of  Success.     135 

quality,  for  example,  both  sugar  and  acetate  of  lead  give 
a  '  sweet '  taste.  Only  one  general  statement  may  be 
hazarded :  the  taste-stimulus  is  alway  in  liquid  form.  If 
the  tip  of  the  tongue  be  carefully  dried,  a  crystal  of  sugar 
placed  upon  it  will  seem  tasteless,  until  the  tongue  again 
becomes  moist  enough  to  dissolve  it." 

The  experiments  and  investigations  which  have  given 
us  the  meagre  knowledge  we  have  on  the  subject  of 
taste-sensations  and  their  brain-area  (little  known),  have 
all  involved  attention,  discrimination,  judgment,  and  so  on. 
The  object  of  the  exercises  in  the  present  chapter  have 
exactly  similar  ends  in  view  —  but  above  all,  such  work 
under  direction  as  may  make  you  the  better  acquainted 
with  yourself  and  give  to  you  a  greater  scope  of  con- 
sciousness and  self-control. 

The  tongue  tastes  ;  it  also  feels. 

The  sensation  of  touch  is  often  confounded  with 
that  of  taste.  During  a  heavy  cold  in  one's  head  the 
tongue  feels  much,  but  tastes  little.  Aerated  water  gives 
the  tongue  a  lively  sensation  of  touch  or  feeling.  Alum 
"  draws  "  it.  Pepper  irritates  it  to  burning.  Some  strong 
sweets  are  slippery.  Some  strong  bitters  are  smooth. 
Cold  food  is  lacking  in  the  taste  of  warmer.  The  sen- 
sation produced  by  very  cold  water  is  largely  that  of  feel- 
ing. Luke-warm  coffee  is  not  enjoyable  because  the 
aroma  of  its  steam  and  the  cold  of  ice  are  absent.  These 
facts  suggest  some  experiments. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  I.  Procure  a  piece  of  alum.  Merely 
touch  it  with  the  tongue.  Now  try  to  perceive  its  taste 
in  distinction  from  its  feeling.  Repeat  this  exercise  with 
other  "  puckery  "  substances.  Repeat  these  experiments 


136  Exercises  in    Taste. 

every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two  days,  and  on  the 
tenth  day  observe  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Close  the  nostrils  between  the 
thumb  and  forefinger,  and,  touching  the  tongue  with  some 
"  puckery  "  substance,  try  to  perceive  the  taste.  Is  the 
idea  of  taste  real  or  imaginary?  Repeat  with  various 
similar  articles.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten 
days,  with  rest  of  two  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note 
improvement. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Place  a  little  pepper  on  the  tongue. 
Try  to  distinguish  the  taste  from  the  irritation.  Is  there 
any  difference?  Repeat  with  other  substances  which 
"  bum  "  the  tongue.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day 
for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day 
note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  4.  With  white  sugar  or  syrup  placed 
on  the  tongue,  try  to  distinguish  whether  the  slippery  feel- 
ing or  the  sweet  taste  is  first  perceived.  Repeat  these 
exercises  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the 
tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  f.  Sweeten  equally  two  glasses  of  water. 
Let  a  friend,  while  you  are  not  observing,  place  in  one 
glass  a  minute  quantity  of  quinine  or  other  bitter  sub- 
stance. Now  taste  and  note  which  glass  contains  the 
drug  by  observing  the  greater  sweetness  of  the  water  in 
which  it  has  been  placed.  The  quantity  of  "  bitter  "  may 
be  increased  until  additional  sweetness  can  be  perceived. 
If  the  water  begins  to  taste  bitter  before  increased  sweet- 
ness is  perceived,  the  experiment  has  failed.  But  do  not 
be  discouraged.  Repeat  until  success  is  reached.  Repeat 
these  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the 
tenth  day  note  improvement. 


Work  is  the  Bitter-Sweet  of  Success.     137 

Exercise  No.  6.  Try  to  recall,  with  great  vividness — 
with  the  vividness  of  reality  —  from  memory,  the  taste  of 
various  articles  —  sugar,  lemon,  quinine,  onions,  cheese, 
etc.  Note  whether  one  taste  is  recalled  more  vividly  than 
another.  Is  such  recalled  taste  always  associated  with  a 
mental  picture  of  its  object,  or  is  it  abstract  ?  Does  the 
memory  seem  to  be  located  in  the  brain  or  on  the  tongue  ? 
Whether  in  the  brain  or  on  the  tongue,  is  it  associated 
with  some  past  experience  ?  Now  think  of  the  tongue,  and 
try  to  piace  the  remembered  sensation,  abstracted  from  all 
past  experience,  there  alone.  That  is  difficult,  but  it  can 
be  done.  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days, 
with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Procure  six  articles  that  are  fra- 
grant and  six  articles  that  have  a  pleasant  taste.  Arrange 
in  pairs  —  one  article  of  smell  with  one  of  taste,  and  so  on 
until  all  are  thus  paired.  Take  one  pair,  and  compare  the 
sensation  of  smell  with  that  of  taste.  Note  similarity  and 
difference  between  the  sensations.  Repeat  with  each  pair. 
Repeat  these  experiments  with  articles  that  are  odor- 
iferous but  not  fragrant,  and  articles  that  have  not  an 
agreeable  taste.  Now  note  whether,  in  all  tests  with  pairs 
of  articles,  the  effect  upon  the  "  mind  "  is  greater  when  the 
sensation  is  that  of  smelling  than  when  it  is  that  of  tast- 
ing. Then  note  whether  the  difference  or  similarity  of 
sensation  is  greater  in  the  case  of  the  first  six  articles 
(fragrant  and  pleasant)  or  in  the  case  of  the  second  six 
articles  (odoriferous  and  unpleasant).  What  is  the  reason 
for  the  facts  ?  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten 
days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Why  is  a  meal  of  the  same  kind  which  is  eaten  in 
solitude  with  the  same  degree  of  hunger  vastly  less  agree- 
able in  itself  than  when  eaten  among  pleasant  companions  ? 


138  Exercises  in   Taste. 

If  this  is  not  true,  you  evidently  need  lessons  in  sociability. 
With  most  people  it  is  true.  Eye,  nose,  tongue  have 
changed  not.  Yet  the  meal  looks  better,  smells  better, 
tastes  better.  Is  this  due  to  imagination  ?  Is  there  not, 
rather,  a  mutuality  of  ministration  among  the  senses  which 
requires  the  inspiration  of  friends  to  bring  it  fully  out  ?  A 
good  eye,  a  good  nose  and  a  good  tongue  make  a  trinity 
of  dining  felicity.  Add,  then,  a  good  heart  and  a  pleasant- 
ly active  soul,  and  the  function  of  Will-power  hi  the  realm 
of  vision,  hearing  and  taste  is  discovered. 

Exercise  No.  8.  While  dining  with  friends,  make  the 
exercises  of  this  chapter  the  subject  of  conversation  and 
experiment  so  far  as  consistent  with  the  business  in  hand, 
namely,  dining  in  the  most  agreeable  manner. 

Exercise  No.  9.  It  is  a  human  privilege  to  put  the 
soul  into  bodily  sensations,  or  to  withdraw  it  therefrom. 
In  the  one  case  the  word  is  attention,  in  the  other  case  it 
is  abstraction.  The  following  exercise  deals  with  abstrac- 
tion. 

Secure  the  sensation  of  any  taste  or  any  smell.  Now 
resolutely  try  to  recall  from  memory  some  other  different 
sensation  so  vividly  as  to  banish  the  first  from  mind.  For 
example :  smell  of  a  rose,  and  then  think  strongly  of  the 
odor  of  onions.  You  must  entirely  forget  the  flower  while 
thinking  of  the  vegetable.  Or,  taste  a  little  sugar,  and 
then  put  the  sensation  out  of  mind  by  recalling  the  memory 
of  wormwood.  Or  the  senses  may,  as  it  were,  be  crossed. 
Smell  of  a  pink  and  banish  the  sensation  by  strong  thought 
of  the  taste  of  pepper.  Or  taste  alum  and  think  about  the 
smell  of  ammonia  so  keenly  as  to  banish  the  first  sen- 
sation. Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days, 
with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 


Work  is  the  Bitter-Sweet  of  Success.     139 

After  all,  abstraction  is  only  another  name  for  atten- 
tion —  withdrawn  from  one  quarter  by  being  massed  upon 
another.  Whoever  attends  intelligently  and  masterfully  to 
eye,  nose,  tongue,  has  either  new  worlds  of  pleasure  or 
new  guards  against  displeasure.  Above  all,  has  this  per- 
son Will.  Attention  cultivated  involves  Will  always  pres- 
ent. 


THE  FRAGRANCE, 


Across  the  fields  of  time  and  space 

Old  flowery  perfumes  drift  and  beat 
Upon  my  spirifs  eager  face 
With  waves  of  subtle,  sensuous  grace, 
Heavily  sweet. 

A  farmhouse  dooryard  all  aglow 
In  colors  loved  by  simple  eyes, 
Restores  dear  memory's  Passing  show. 
Which  life  a-now  can  never  know, 
Of  fields  and  skies. 

So  near  to  sense  is  life  divine, 

So  quick  the  soul  to  pierce  the  veil: 
A  lilac's  fragrance  is  like  wine, 
And,  as  I  quaff,  the  joys  are  mine 
Of  youth's  lost  trail. 

The  Nature-World,  a  mighty  rose 

Borne  on  the  tree  of  Chaos  vast, 
Into  my  soul  its  nerve-life  throws, 
Till  I  am  all  that  round  me  grows— 
Made  one  at  last. 

—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

EXERCISES  IN  SMELL. 

is  stated  in  Mr.  Stewart's  account  of  James 
Mitchell,  who  was  deaf,  sightless  and  speech- 
less, and,  of  course,  strongly  induced  by  his 
unfortunate  situation  to  make  much  use  of  the  sense  we  are 
considering,  that  his  smell  would  immediately  and  invari- 
ably inform  him  of  the  presence  of  a  stranger,  and  direct 
to  the  place  where  he  might  be ;  and  it  is  repeatedly 
asserted  that  this  sense  had  become  in  him  extremely 
acute. —  'It  is  related,'  says  Dr.  Abercrombie,  '  of  the  late 
Dr.  Moyse,  the  well-known  blind  philosopher,  that  he 
could  distinguish  a  black  dress  on  his  friends  by  its  smell.' " 
—  Professor  Thomas  C.  Upham. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 

Keenness  of  attention  through  discrimination  in  the 
sense  of  smell ; 

Persistently  willed  attention  a  feeder  of  Will; 

A  neglected  sense  cultivated  and  fullness  and  power  of 
mind  increased. 

"  In  all  ages  of  the  world,"  Dr.  William  Matthews  has 
said,  "  a  liberal  allowance  of  proboscis  has  been  admired, 
while  a  niggardly  one  has  been  held  in  contempt.  The 
Romans  liked  a  large  nose,  like  Julius  Caesar's ;  and  it  is 
a  significant  fact  that  the  same  word  in  Latin,  Nasutus, 
means  having  a  large  nose,  and  acute  or  sagacious.  All 
their  distinguished  men  had  snuff-taking  organs  not  to  be 


142  Exercises  in  Smell. 

sneezed  at."  "  In  modern  days,  large  noses  have  been 
not  less  coveted  and  esteemed  than  in  the  ancient.  '  Give 
me,'  said  Napoleon,  '  a  man  with  a  large  allowance  of  nose. 
In  my  observations  of  men  I  have  almost  invariably  found 
a  long  nose  and  a  long  head  go  together.' " 

PRELIMINARY. 

"  The  faculty  of  scent  may  be  cultivated  like  all  other 
faculties,  as  is  proven  by  blood-hounds  and  breeds  of  dogs 
which  have  been  specially  trained  in  this  direction  until  it 
becomes  an  hereditaiy  faculty.  Those  who  deal  in  teas, 
coffees,  perfumes,  wine  and  butter,  often  cultivate  their 
powers  to  a  wonderful  degree  in  their  especial  lines,  but 
with  the  majority  of  people  it  is  the  least  cultivated  of  the 
senses,  although  Dr.  O.  W.  Holmes  thinks  it  the  one  which 
most  powerfully  appeals  to  memory." 

The  sense  of  smell,  it  would  seem,  then,  has  been 
greatly  neglected,  as  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  names  of 
odors  are  almost  entirely  artificial  or  derived  from  associ- 
ation. That  it  may  be  trained  may  be  proved  by  any 
druggist  or  manufacturer  of  perfumes.  The  druggist  does 
not  recognize  the  "  smell "  of  his  own  shop,  but  he  per- 
ceives by  the  nose  when  he  enters  that  of  another.  Always 
must  he  discriminate  among  odors  in  his  business.  The 
perfumist  lives  on  the  acuteness  of  his  olfactory  nerves. 
The  glue-maker  and  soap-refiner  exist  in  spite  of  their  pur- 
suits. 

"  We  have  little  scientific  knowledge  of  odors,"  says 
Calkins.  "  Even  our  names  for  them  are  borrowed, 
usually  from  the  objects  to  which  we  chance  to  refer  them, 
and  occasionally  even  from  their  affective  accompaniments. 
Thus  we  know  some  odors  only  vaguely  as  good  or  bad, 
that  is,  pleasant  or  unpleasant,  and  at  the  best  we  can  say 
nothing  more  definite  than  '  heliotrope  fragrance  '  or  '  ker- 


An   Odor  or  a  Perfume —  Which?       143 

osene  odor.'  This  chaotic  state  of  affairs  is  largely  due 
to  the  limited  significance  of  odors  in  our  intellectual  and 
our  artistic  life. 

"  Many  smells  are,  of  course,  like  tastes,  obviously 
complex  experiences  containing  elements  of  taste,  touch 
and  vision,  as  well  as  of  smell.  The  pungency  of  such 
smells  as  that  of  ammonia  is  thus  a  touch  quality  ;  and 
such  experiences  as  smelling  sour  milk  are  perhaps  due 
to  the  entrance  of  particles  through  the  nose  into  the 
throat. 

"  The  most  satisfactory  classification  of  smells,  as  we 
meet  them  in  nature,  is  that  adapted  by  the  Dutch  physi- 
ologist, Zwaardemaker,  from  the  classification  of  Linnaeus. 
It  recognizes  the  following  classes  : 

"  Ethereal  smells,  including  all  fruit  odors. 

"Aromatic  smells,  for  example,  those  of  camphor, 
spices,  lemon,  rose. 

"  Fragrant  smells,  for  example,  those  of  flowers. 

"Ambrosiac  smells,  for  example,  all  musk  odors. 

"Alliaceous  smells,  for  example,  those  of  garlic,  assa- 
fcetida,  fish. 

"  Empyreumatic  smells,  for  example,  those  of  tobacco 
and  toast. 

"  Hircine  smells,  for  example,  those  of  cheese  and 
rancid  fat. 

"  Virulent  smells,  for  example,  that  of  opium. 

"  Nauseating  smells,  for  example,  that  of  decaying 
animal  matter. 

"  We  have  sensational  experiences,  known  as  smells 
or  odors,  distinguished  from  each  other,  but  not  designated 
by  special  names  ;  they  are  probably  analyzable  into  a  few 
distinct  elements,  but  this  analysis  has  never  been  satis- 
factorily made  ;  and  they  are  often  compounded,  and  some- 
times confused  with  tastes  and  touches. 


144  Exercises  in  Smell. 

"The  structure  of  the  physiological  end-organs  of 
smell  is  not  very  clearly  made  out.  Two  phenomena 
indicate,  however,  that  these  organs  are  so  distinct  that 
they  correspond  both  with  different  physical  stimuli  and 
with  different  smell-experiences.  One  of  these  phenomena 
is  that  of  exhaustion.  Experimental  investigations  show, 
for  example,  that  a  subject  '  whose  organ  is  fatigued  by 
the  continuous  smelling  of  tincture  of  iodine  can  sense 
ethereal  oils  almost  or  quite  as  well  as  ever,  oils  of  lemon, 
turpentine  and  cloves  but  faintly,  and  common  alcohol 
not  at  all.'  Evidently,  therefore,  different  parts  of  the  end- 
organs  are  affected  by  these  distinct  smell-stimuli,  else  the 
nostrils  would  be  exhausted  for  all  smells  at  the  same 
time. 

"  We  know  little  of  the  physical  conditions  of  smell. 
Two  statements  only  can  be  made  with  any  degree  of 
assurance.  It  is  highly  probable,  in  the  first  place,  that 
the  smell-stimulus  is  always  gaseous,  not  liquid ;  and  it  is 
almost  certain  that  the  property  of  stimulating  the  end- 
organs  of  smell  is  a  function  of  the  physical  molecule,  not 
of  the  atom,  since  most  of  the  chemical  elements  are  odor- 
less. Summing  up  both  physiological  and  physical  condi- 
tions, we  may  say,  therefore,  that  certain  gaseous  particles 
are  carried  by  inspiration  into  the  nostrils,  where  they 
stimulate  cells  found  in  the  mucous  membrane,  and  that 
these  nerve-impulses  are  conveyed  by  the  olfactory  nerves 
to  the  temporal  lobes  of  the  brain." 

The  action  of  the  olfactory  nerves  may  be  controlled 
by  thought  —  that  is  by  power  of  Will.  Arranging  paper 
tubes  in  such  a  way  as  to  convey  separate  perfumes  to 
each  nostril,  as  suggested  by  Professor  Scripture,  "  we  can 
smell  either  one  in  preference  to  the  other  by  simply 
thinking  about  it."  An  experiment  may  be  made  of  this 
fact. 


An   Odor  or  a  Perfume —  Which?       145 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  I.  Take  some  fragrant  flower.  Inhale 
its  odor.  Walk  about  the  room,  away  from  the  flower. 
Now  recall  the  quality  and  intensity  of  the  smell.  Repeat 
this  exercise  with  various  extracts  and  perfumes  taken 
separately.  Care  must  be  had  to  give  the  nostrils  suffi- 
cient rest  between  whiles,  otherwise  the  sense  of  smell  will 
become  confused. 

Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  at  least  ten 
days,  with  rest  of  two  days.  It  will  be  better  to  go  on 
until  improvement  is  certainly  noted  in  keenness  of  scent 
and  mental  power  to  describe  smells  or  odors.  On  the 
tenth  day  note  improvement. 

During  all  the  above  and  following  practice  the  feel- 
ing of  strong  Will  must  be  kept  constantly  at  the  fore. 
Put  your  soul  into  your  nose. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Procure  two  different  kinds  of  ex- 
tracts. Inhale  the  odor  of  one.  Do  the  same  with  the 
other.  Think  strongly  of  the  first  odor ;  then  of  the  second. 
Now  try  to  compare  them,  noting  the  difference.  Repeat 
this  exercise  every  day  for  ten  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day 
note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  j.  While  sitting  erect,  gently  inhale  the 
air,  and  try  to  name  any  odor  perceived.  Is  it  real? 
Where  does  it  originate  ?  Let  friends  secrete  some  odor- 
iferous substance  in  a  room  —  a  number  of  pinks  or  an 
open  bottle  of  perfumery,  not  known  to  you,  and  while  you 
are  in  another  room.  Enter  and  endeavor  by  smell  alone 
to  find  the  article.  All  other  pronounced  odors  must  be 
excluded  from  the  place.  Repeat  these  exercises  every 
day  for  ten  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Ask  some  friend  to  hold  in  the  hand 
an  object  which  is  not  known  to  you  and  is  fragrant  or 


146  Exercises  in  Smell. 

odoriferous.  He  is  to  hold  the  article  some  distance  from 
you,  and  then  gradually  to  move  it,  held  unseen  in  his  two 
hands  placed  together,  nearer  and  nearer,  until  you  perceive 
the  odor.  Note  the  distance  at  which  )rou  perceive  the 
object  by  smell.  Can  you  name  the  smell  ?  Can  you 
name  the  object  ?  Repeat  the  experiment  with  intervals 
of  rest,  with  various  different  "  smellable  "  articles. 

Do  you  perceive  some  at  a  less  distance  than  others  ? 
Why  is  this  ?  Is  it  due  to  strength  of  odor  or  the  quality  ? 
Repeat  the  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest  of 
two  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Humboldt  declared  that  Peruvian  Indians  can,  in  the 
darkest  night,  determine  whether  a  stranger,  while  yet  far 
distant,  is  an  Indian,  European  or  Negro.  The  Arabs  of 
the  Sahara  can  detect  by  smell  the  presence  of  a  fire  forty 
miles  away. 

Exercise  No.  3.  Each  of  the  five  senses  has  the 
power  of  continually  new  discoveries  in  the  world  of  reality. 
Impressions  appropriate  to  each  may  be  related  to  the 
huge  things  of  life.  High  living  puts  great  significance 
into  even  the  sense  of  smell.  The  present  exercise  may 
be  made  perpetual.  Build  up  in  your  life  the  habit  of 
associating  the  agreeable  odors  perceived  in  garden,  field 
or  wood,  with  true  and  great  thoughts.  Examples :  new- 
mown  hay  —  Tennyson's  poem,  "Maud  Muller";  sea- 
flats  —  Sidney  Lanier's  "  Marshes  of  Glynn  "  ;  fresh- 
turned  soil  —  the  teeming  life  of  the  world ;  flowers  — 
beauty  regnant  in  the  earth.  Such  a  habit  will  open  new 
worlds,  and  it  will  develop  energetic  attention,  and  so  tend 
to  build  up  a  strong  Will  in  your  life. 

This  work  may  be  so  conducted  as  to  make  improve- 
ment possible.  Its  value  always  depends  upon  the  amount 
of  soul  put  into  it  —  that  is,  into  the  nose.  The  exercises 


An   Odor  or  a  Perfume —  Which?       147 

will  cultivate  a  neglected  sense,  but  more,  will  develop  a 
power  of  attention  that  will  surprise  you,  and  through  this 
a  power  of  Will,  which  is  the  end  sought.  The  idea  of 
Will  must  always  be  present.  In  every  act  preserve  the 
willing  attitude. 


SELF  AND  WORLDS. 


If  you  could  touch  the  outer  rim 

Of  life's  huge  wheel  of  being, 
Lo,  knowledge  still  would  seem  but  dim, 

As  now,  forever  fleeing. 
And  if  your  thought  could  penetrate 

Below  the  last  existence, 
Still,  ignorance  would  be  your  fate, — 

In  vain  all  such  insistence. 

The  primrose  by  the  river's  brim, 

This  is  the  wheel  of  being's  rim; 

Love  it:    all  life  you  penetrate; 

Love's  boundless  knowledge  then  your  fate. 

You  touch  in  self  the  farthest  bound 

Of  matter  and  of  spirit : 
When  the  last  glory  here  you've  found, 

Self  only  shall  insphere  it. 
For  Mind 's  below  the  self,  you  see, 

And  Mind's  below  the  flower; 
And  in  Love's  touch  of  harmony 

All  knowing  finds  its  power. 

Great  Nature  is  the  outer  rim, 
But  self  the  deepest  centre  dim; 
If  you  will  farther  penetrate, 
Knowledge  your  goal,  but  love  your  fate. 

—THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXERCISES  IN  TOUCH. 

HE  sense  of  touch  is  the  most  positive  of  all 
the  senses  in  the  character  of  its  sensations. 
In  many  respects  it  is  worthy  to  be  called  the 
leading  sense."  — Noah  Porter. 

"All  the  senses  are  modifications  of  the  sense  of 
touch."  — Demosthenes. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 

Mind  thrown  into  or  abstracted  from  physical  feeling 
at  Will; 

Will-attention  making  Will-action  deliberative  and 
second-nature  ; 

Will  prohibitions  rendering  mind  supreme  at  least 
cost. 

PRELIMINARY. 

"  The  sensations  of  contact  and  temperature,"  says 
Royce,  "  are  due  to  the  excitation  of  points  on  the  skin 
which  differ  for  the  various  special  sorts  of  experiences  in 
question.  Experiment  shows  that  certain  points  of  the 
skin  are  especially  sensitive  to  stimulations  given  by  cold 
objects,  while  other  points  are  sensitive  to  disturbances 
due  to  hot  objects.  Our  ordinary  sensory  experience  of 
warmth  or  of  cold  is  due  to  a  complex  excitement  of  many 
points  of  both  these  types.  Still  other  points  on  the  skin 
very  wealthily  interspersed  among  the  others,  give  us,  if 
excited  in  isolation,  sensations  of  contact  or  of  pressure. 


150  Exercises  in    Touch. 

Complex  sensory  excitations,  due  to  the  disturbances  of 
the  skin,  sometimes  with  and  sometimes  without,  notable 
accompanying  organic  disturbances,  give  us  our  experi- 
ences of  hard  and  soft,  of  rough  and  smooth,  of  dry  and 
moist  objects." 

There  are  many  very  curious  facts  to  be  observed  in 
connection  with  touch.  The  degree  of  feeling  arising  from 
touch  is  usually  dependent  to  a  great  extent  upon  atten- 
tion. We  do  not,  for  example,  ordinarily  feel  our  clothing, 
but  when  thought  turns  to  the  matter  it  becomes  very  ap- 
parent. If  garments  do  not  fit  well,  the  nerves  are  likely 
to  take  on  some  habit  of  twitching  or  other  unnatural 
movement.  Such  habits  in  children  are  often  due  to  this 
fact.  For  the  same  reason  tickling  sensations  plague 
sleep  away  at  night.  That  wise  fool  who  calls  himself  a 
"  business  man  "  bolts  his  dinner  in  eight  minutes,  and 
tastes  and  feels  nothing  until  dyspepsia  makes  taste  and 
feeling  perennial  dominators  of  an  unhappy  existence. 
Another  fool  consumes  alcohol  in  winter  for  warmth  and 
in  summer  for  coolness  ;  the  secret  of  its  "  beneficent " 
ministry  is  its  paralyzing  power  over  physical  conscious- 
ness. In  latter  days  this  man  feels  heat  and  cold  with  the 
keenness  of  a  skeleton  veiled  in  the  rotten  gauze  of  ruined 
nerves.  The  orator  who  is  absorbed  in  his  flights  regards 
not  the  busy  fly  upon  his  nose  nor  the  physical  pain  which 
was  insistent  before  his  soul  afire  took  mastery  of  sense. 
The  epicure,  every  sense  to  the  fore,  lingers  while  he  dines, 
and  nourishes  delighted  boon  fellowship  with  kindred 
spirits.  When  the  orator  has  it  before  him  to  listen  to 
another  man's  lucubrations,  his  fly  becomes  a  Dante  for 
torture,  and  his  pains  possess  the  power  of  a  Spanish  In- 
quisition. So,  too,  when  Xantippe  appears  at  the  philoso- 
phers' board,  the  world  must  lose  in  Socratic  wisdom. 

To  attend  or  not  to  attend  is  always  with  feeling  an 


The  Soul's  "Open  Sesame11  is  Purpose.    151 

important  question.  The  end  nerves  may  be  brought 
under  large  control  of  the  Will.  The  soldier  frequently 
fails  to  note  that  his  arm  has  been  shot  off  in  the  on- 
slaught of  a  charge.  Your  tooth  will  cease  aching  if  your 
house  is  afire  or  your  horse  is  running  away  with  you.  If 
feeling  may  be  thus  dissipated,  it  may,  as  well,  be  called 
in  and  controlled  by  the  exercise  of  Will.  Exercises  in 
touch  are  therefore  suggested  for  development  of  Will. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  I.  Pass  the  ends  of  each  finger  of  the 
right  hand  in  turn  very  lightly  over  any  flat  uncovered 
surface.  Try  first  a  surface  which  is  rough ;  then  one 
which  is  smooth.  Note  the  difference  in  "  feel "  between 
a  rough  surface  and  a  smooth.  This  will  require  a  good 
deal  of  attention,  for  the  difference  is  manifold.  Repeat 
these  exercises  with  several  rough  and  smooth  surfaces. 
Repeat  as  above  with  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand.  Note 
whether  the  feeling  is  greater  with  one  hand  than  with 
the  other.  Now  repeat  the  experiments  with  cloth  —  of 
linen,  cotton,  woolen,  silk.  The  "  feel  "  of  each  material 
is  peculiar.  Compare,  by  act,  the  sense  of  touch  as  given 
by  one  piece  of  cloth  with  that  given  by  another.  Con- 
tinue these  exercises  with  several  pieces  of  cloth  in  pairs. 
Repeat  with  one  hand,  then  with  the  other.  What  is  the 
main  "  feel  "  of  silk  ?  Of  cotton  ?  Of  woolen  ?  Of  linen  ? 
Have  you  any  sensation  other  than  touch  with  any  of 
these  kinds  of  cloth  ?  If  so,  is  it  disagreeable  ?  Then 
resolve  to  handle  that  variety  of  cloth  until  the  aversion 
has  been  mastered.  This  can  be  done,  as  clerks  in  great 
department  stores  will  testify.  Repeat  all  the  exercises 
here  given  every  day  for  ten  days,  and  on  the  tenth  day 
note  improvement  in  touch  —  delicacy,  kinds  of  sensations 
produced,  etc. 


152  Exercises  in    Touch. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Practise  touching  lightly  the  surface 
of  an  uncovered  table,  with  the  separate  fingers,  one  after 
the  other,  of  each  hand.  Note  the  degree  of  steadiness 
with  which  this  is  done.  Now  repeat  the  experiment  with 
strong  pressure  upon  each  finger  of  the  hands  separately 
applied.  What  is  the  difference  in  sensation  between  the 
light  touch  and  the  strong  pressure  ?  Repeat  the  exercise 
every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day 
note  improvement  in  discrimination. 

Exercise  No.  3.  Grasp  a  small  object,  say,  a  paper- 
weight or  a  rubber  ball,  very  lightly,  just  an  instant,  drop- 
ping it  immediately.  Then  grasp  it  firmly,  and  instantly 
drop.  Did  you  feel  the  object  with  each  finger  in  the 
first  instance  ?  In  the  second  ?  Make  no  mistake.  What, 
if  any,  difference  in  sensation  did  you  observe?  This 
requires  that  the  Will  command  great  attention.  Hence 
it  cannot  be  done  carelessly.  Repeat  every  day  for  ten 
days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement 
in  touch  and  power  of  discrimination  and  attention. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Look  at  the  back  of  either  hand. 
Now  twist  the  second  finger  toward  you  and  cross  the 
first  finger  behind  it.  While  the  fingers  are  so  crossed, 
press  the  unsharpened  end  of  a  lead-pencil  between  the 
finger  ends.  Look  sharp  1  Do  you  seem  to  feel  one 
pencil  or  two  ?  Shut  the  eyes  and  repeat  the  experiment. 
Again,  is  the  sensation  of  one  pencil  or  two  ?  Is  the 
deception  stronger  with  eyes  closed  or  open  ?  When  the 
pressure  of  the  pencil  between  the  crossed  fingers  is  light, 
or  when  it  is  strong?  Explain  the  fact  that  there  are 
apparently  two  pencils.  Repeat  the  experiment  with  three 
pairs  of  fingers.  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with 
rest,  and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvements  in  the 
various  respects  suggested. 


The  SouTs  "Open  Sesame"  ts  Purpose.    153 

The  eyes  being  closed  in  the  first  experiment,  you 
will  probably  thrust  the  pencil  against  the  side  of  the 
third  finger,  which  is  now  on  the  outside  of  the  hand. 
Explain  this  little  mistake. 

Exercise  No.  5.  With  eyes  closed,  place  several  ob- 
jects, promiscuously  and  separated,  upon  a  table.  The 
eyes  still  being  closed,  move  the  right  hand  lightly  over 
the  objects  and  endeavor  to  estimate  the  several  distances 
which  separate  them.  Do  not  measure  by  length  of  hand 
or  finger.  Repeat  the  exercise  with  the  left  hand.  Keep 
the  question  in  mind :  which  hand  is  more  nearly  correct 
in  judgment.  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest, 
and  on  the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  6.  While  your  eyes  are  closed,  ask  a 
friend  to  present  to  you,  so  that  you  can  examine  by 
touch  alone,  but  not  by  taking  in  your  hand,  several  small 
objects,  one  after  another.  Now  try  to  determine  what 
the  articles  are.  Examples :  small  onion,  small  potato, 
flower  bulb,  piece  of  dry  putty,  piece  of  amber,  piece  of 
wax ;  or  some  sugar,  sand,  ground  pepper,  salt,  etc. 
Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth 
day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Procure  small  blocks  of  any  ma- 
terial—  wood,  iron  —  round  in  shape,  and  of  exactly  the 
same  size,  but  differing  slightly  in  weight.  Say  two  blocks 
weigh  each  i  ounce,  two  i^  ounces  each,  two  2  ounces 
each,  and  so  on  to  a  dozen,  always  having  two  blocks  of 
the  same  weight.  Let  the  weights  be  stamped  or  written 
on  one  side  of  the  blocks  only. 

Place  them  promiscuously  on  a  table,  blank  side  up. 
Close  the  eyes  and  at  random  pick  up  one  block  and  then 
a  second,  using  the  same  hand.  Determine  by  "  feel " 


154  Exercises  in    Touch. 

whether  the  weights  so  picked  up  are  equal  or  not.  Esti- 
mate the  weights  in  each  experiment.  Repeat  with  the 
left  hand.  Repeat  with  both  hands,  used  alternately. 
Repeat  the  experiment  in  all  cases  many  times.  Con- 
tinue every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth 
day  note  improvement  in  judgment. 

Exercise  No.  8.  Procure  twenty-four  small  wooden 
models  of  crystals,  cut  from  blocks  about  three  inches 
square.  Throw  them  promiscuously  all  at  once  upon  a 
table.  With  eyes  closed,  take  one  in  the  hand  and  ob- 
serve the  mental  picture  that  arises  by  the  sense  of  touch. 
Count  the  faces,  lines,  angles.  Now  open  the  eyes  and 
note  the  difference  between  this  mental  picture  and  the 
reality.  This  experiment  will  be  difficult  because  you  are 
not  familiar  with  the  forms  of  crystals,  and  judgment  is 
left  to  touch  alone.  To  assist,  therefore,  look  at  the  crys- 
tal models  until  you  are  able  to  shut  the  eyes  and  per- 
ceive with  the  eye  of  the  mind  the  form  just  examined. 
Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth 
day  note  improvement  in  judgment. 

Exercise  No.  g.  Place  a  model  before  you.  Now 
think  of  a  number  of  bullets,  and,  while  looking  intently 
at  the  model,  try  mentally  to  arrange  the  bullets  in  such  a 
way  as  to  build  up  the  outlines  of  the  form  of  the  model. 
Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on  the  tenth 
day  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  10.  Draw  outlines  of  the  models  on 
paper,  without  shading.  Now  gaze  steadily  at  any  out- 
line and  try  to  fill  out  in  the  mind  the  solid  contents  of 
the  model.  This  requires  steadiness  of  thought  and  co- 
herence and  vividness  of  imagination.  It  is  therefore 
difficult,  but  can  be  accomplished  by  persistent  effort. 


The  Soul's  "Open  Sesame"  ts  Purpose.    155 

The  strong  Will  gives  the  soul  power  to  see  solid  mental 
pictures.  The  endeavor  so  to  see  will  develop  the  Will 
itself.  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest,  and  on 
the  tenth  day  note  improvement. 

The  last  two  exercises  do  not  directly  involve  touch, 
but  readily  associate  therewith  in  cultivation  of  ideas  of 
form.  With  those  that  precede  them  they  require  keen 
attention,  which  is  a  secondary  end  in  all  these  pages. 
No  one  can  master  his  power  of  attention  without  acquir- 
ing the  masterful  Will. 

Exercise  No.  n.  When  you  shake  hands  with 
people,  note  in  their  grasp  any  index  of  their  character 
that  may  be  suggested.  Cultivate  the  gently-firm  grasp. 
Instantly  rebuke  the  bone-crusher ;  he  has  a  vice  whick 
needs  destruction.  Is  the  touch  of  some  hands  disagree- 
able to  you  ?  Note  in  what  particulars.  Be  not  ruled  by 
that  aversion,  but  seek  such  hands,  and  resolve  to  throw 
off  the  feeling.  This  may  be  useful  to  you  in  the  "  con- 
trol of  others."  The  effort  to  overcome  an  aversion  al- 
ways develops  Will.  Determine  that  nothing  which  you 
must  touch  more  or  less  habitually  shall  control  the  sen- 
sation which  it  produces.  Let  this  aversion  be  a  type  of 
all  tyrannous  aversions.  Such  an  aversion  means  the  in- 
ability of  a  small  mind  to  divert  its  attention.  The  really 
large  soul  masters  irritations  and  dislikes.  But  the  guide 
and  controller  here  is  Will.  Every  aversion  conquered 
signifies  power  of  Will  increased. 

"  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL  1     ATTENTION  !  1 " 


HARMONY. 


The  mighty  whirl  of  suns  and  stars 

With  infinite  complexity 

Goes  ever  on.    Inflexibly 
Law  crushes  discord's  evil  wars. 

Inflexibly  (no  less)  law  links 

The  vaster  movements  and  the  small 
Together  in  harmonic  thrall: 

Thus  evil  into  welfare  shrinks. 

Obey  !    Not  as  the  slave  who  hates, 
But  as  the  son  who  loves  the  sires 
So  shall  the  Cosmos  life  inspire 

Worthy  high  toil  —  and  higher  fates  / 


—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EXERCISES  FOR  THE  NERVES. 

TANDING  at  the  centre  of  the  universe,  a 
thousand  forces  come  rushing  in  to  report 
themselves  to  the  sensitive  soul-centre.  There 
is  a  nerve  in  man  that  runs  out  to  every  room  and  realm 
in  the  universe. 

"  Man's  mechanism  stands  at  the  centre  of  the  uni- 
verse with  telegraph-lines  extending  in  every  direction. 
It  is  a  marvelous  pilgrimage  he  is  making  through  life 
while  myriad  influences  stream  in  upon  him. 

"  Some  Faraday  shows  us  that  each  drop  of  water  is 
a  sheath  for  electric  forces  sufficient  to  charge  800,000 
Leyden  jars,  or  drive  an  engine  from  Liverpool  to  London. 
Some  Sir  William  Thomson  tells  us  how  hydrogen  gas 
will  chew  up  a  large  iron  spike  as  a  child's  molars  will  chew 
off  the  end  of  a  stick  of  candy." — Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 

Cessation  of  unnecessary  motion  conserves  force  ;         '  • 
Control  of  nerves  tones  up  body  and  mind,  and  increases 

the  sum  total  of  personal  power  ; 

Habituated  control  of  nervous   energy   exercises   and 

therefore  strengthens  and  regulates  the  Will, 

PRELIMINARY. 

Sir  Michael  Foster  once  said :  "  When  physiology  is 
dealing  with  those  parts  of  the  body  which  we  call  muscular, 


158  Exercises  for  the  Nerves. 

vascular,  glandular  tissues,  and  the  like,  rightly  handled, 
she  points  out  the  way,  not  only  to  mend  that  which  is 
hurt,  to  repair  the  damages  of  bad  usage  and  disease,  but 
so  to  train  the  growing  tissues  and  to  guide  the  grown 
ones  as  that  the  best  use  may  be  made  of  them  for  the 
purposes  of  life.  She  not  only  heals ;  she  governs  and 
educates.  Nor  does  she  do  otherwise  when  she  comes  to 
deal  with  the  nervous  tissues.  Nay,  it  is  the  very  prerog- 
ative of  these  nervous  tissues  that  their  life  is,  above  that 
of  all  the  other  tissues,  contingent  on  the  environment 
and  susceptibility  to  education." 

We  are  conscious  of  sensations  apprehended  through 
the  various  sense-organs.  But  we  are  possessed  of  what 
is  called  "general  consciousness."  One  may  discover 
this  by  sitting  a  little  time  in  a  room  that  is  perfectly  still. 
The  general  testimony  of  the  nervous  system  will  then  be 
perceived.  The  movement  of  the  heart  may  be  felt ;  the 
breathing  may  become  audible  ;  a  murmur  may  perhaps 
be  noticed  in  the  ears ;  a  general  feeling  of  warmth  or 
coolness  will  be  observable.  You  are  alive !  You  are 
aware  of  yourself  in  a  physical  sense.  You  are  conscious 
in  particular  spots,  to  be  sure,  but  in  a  general  way  also 
over  almost  the  entire  body.  With  this  "  general  con- 
sciousness" we  begin  the  exercises  of  the  present  chap- 
ter. They  are  important.  Do  not  slight  them. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  i.  Attend  to  this  "  general  conscious- 
ness "  a  few  moments.  Sit  quietly,  exclude  from  the 
mind  all  external  matters,  and  take  cognizance  of  the 
whole  body.  Put  your  entire  thought  upon  this  one 
thing ;  it  will  be  difficult,  for  you  will  desire  to  think  of  a 
thousand  foreign  things  ;  but  it  can  be  done  by  persist- 
ence and  patient  willing.  Now  write  out  every  fact  that 


Ethereal  Force  Awaits   Control.          159 

makes  itself  known  to  you  by  the  testimony  of  the  body. 
Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two  days.  On 
the  tenth  day  compare  the  records.  Observe  the  sum 
total  of  facts  made  known.  Note  also  any  improvement 
in  power  of  attending  to  "general  consciousness"  and 
reports  of  facts  or  sensations. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Sitting  quietly  in  a  room  which  is 
undisturbed,  attend  as  before  a  few  moments  to  "  general 
consciousness."  Now  throw  consciousness  to  some  par- 
ticular part  of  the  body.  Let  it  be  the  arm  from  hand  to 
elbow.  Put  the  whole  mind  there.  Exclude  all  sensa- 
tions except  those  that  arise  there.  What  are  the  reports  ? 
Write  these  facts  for  reference. 

Repeat  this  exercise  with  the  hand.  With  the  shoul- 
der. With  the  back.  With  the  foot.  And  so  on,  with 
different  parts  of  the  body.  Always  get  at  the  facts  testi- 
fied by  consciousness. 

Repeat  this  exercise  with  the  head.  Now  attend 
wholly  to  hearing  —  not  to  sounds,  but  to  the  sensation 
of  hearing  —  in  the  ears.  Again,  give  undivided  attention 
to  sight :  let  the  whole  mind  be  at  the  eyes,  not  on  the 
objects  of  vision. 

Now  press  upon  some  spot  in  the  body,  say,  the  back 
of  a  hand,  or  on  one  cheek,  and,  while  doing  so,  locate 
attention  at  some  other  spot  so  resolutely  as  to  forget  the 
sensation  of  pressure.  Write  the  results  in  each  case. 
Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days  with  rest.  On  the  tenth 
day  compare  the  records  and  note  the  sum  total  of  facts 
reported,  together  with  any  improvement  in  number  of 
facts  observed  and  power  of  attention  gained. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Walk  about  the  room  slowly  and 
quietly,  keeping  the  mind  wholly  upon  ' '  general  conscious- 


160  Exercises  for  the  Serves, 

ness."  Now  rest  a  moment.  Repeat  —  always  retaining 
your  hold  on  consciousness,  never  allowing  it  to  wander 
—  ten  times.  Make  a  record  of  the  most  prominent  facts 
reported.  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest.  On 
the  tenth  day  compare  the  records  and  note  results  as 
before. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Stand  erect  in  a  quiet  room,  and 
pass  through  a  regular  series  of  exercises  without  weights. 

(a)  Move  the  right  arm,  slowly  and  evenly,  directly 
up  from  the  shoulder,  six  times.  Keep  your  mind  on  the 
work. 

(£)  From  the  shoulder,  directly  out  in  front,  six  times. 

(c)  From  the  shoulder,  directly  out  to  the  right,  six 
times. 

(d)  With  the  right  hand  at  arm's  length  above  the 
shoulder,  swing  the  whole  arm  in  a  semi-circle,  arm  straight, 
directly   down    in  front,    bringing   hand  to  leg,  without 
bending  the  body,  six  times. 

(e)  From  the  original  position  down  to  the  right  side 
of  leg,  six  times. 

(/)  With  the  right  arm  extended  at  the  right  side 
straight  out  from  the  shoulder,  swing  it  around  in  front 
until  the  hand  is  directly  before  the  face,  six  times. 

(g)  With  the  right  hand  and  arm,  reverse  all  the  above 
movements. 

(K)  Repeat  the  same  movements  with  the  left  hand, 
six  times. 

(/)  With  the  left  hand  and  arm,  reverse  all  the 
movements. 

Remember  :  these  movements  must  be  made  deliber- 
ately and  slowly.  Attend  to  each  exercise  with  the  whole 
mind.  Do  not  permit  wandering  thoughts.  Put  the 
entire  thought  of  yourself  into  every  act.  Be  wholly  con- 


Ethereal  Force  Awaits  Control.         161 

scious  of  what  you  are  doing.  Above  all,  keep  the  sense 
of  willing  present  during  each  movement.  Thrust  the 
Will  out  into  the  very  muscles. 

Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest.  Or  indefi- 
nitely. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  jr.     Stand  erect  in  a  quiet  room. 
Without   supporting  yourself  with  the  hands,  swing  the 
right  foot  directly  out  in  front  as  far  as  possible  while 
retaining  the  balance  of  the  body.     Return  it  to  the  floor 
in  former  position.     Make  these  movements  deliberately 
and  slowly,  six  times. 

(2)  Swing  right  foot  out  to  right,  sidewise.     Return 
to  former  position,  six  times. 

(3)  Swing  right  foot  out  in  front,  around  to  right, 
back  to  position,  six  times. 

(4)  Swing  right  foot  back  and  out  and  up  as  far  as 
possible,  preserving  balance.  Return  to  position,  six  times. 

(5)  Swing  right   foot    back  as  before,  around  in  a 
semi-circle  past  right  side,  back  to  position,  six  times. 

(6)  Reverse  each  movement  with  right  foot,  six  times. 

(7)  Repeat  all  movements  with  left  foot,  six  times. 

(8)  Repeat  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days, 
with  rest. 

The  work  here  suggested  must  be  performed  with 
great  vigor,  yet  slowly  and  deliberately,  with  intense 
thoughtfulness. 

(a)  Exercise  No.  6.  Stand  erect  in  a  quiet  room. 
Look  straight  ahead.  Slowly  turn  the  face  far  around  to 
the  right,  and  return,  six  times. 

(£)  Look  ahead.  Turn  the  face  slowly  to  the  left, 
and  return,  six  times. 

(f)  Bend  the  head  slowly  back  as  far  as  possible,  and 
return,  six  times. 


162  Exercises  for  the  Nerves. 

(d)  Bend  the  head  slowly  forward  and  down,  as  far 
as  possible,  and  return,  six  times. 

(e)  Drop   the  head  forward  on  the  chest.     Slowly 
swing  it  to  the  right,  in  a  circle  up  to  the  right,  to  the  left 
backward  down  and  back  to  the  left  shoulder,  to  the  right 
in  a  circle  down  to  former  position,  six  times. 

(/)  Drop  the  head  back  between  the  shoulders. 
Swing  it,  to  the  right  up  in  a  circle  to  the  right  shoulder, 
to  the  left  down  around  in  front  and  up  to  the  left  shoulder, 
to  the  right  down  and  back  to  former  position,  six  times. 

(g)  Repeat  all  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days,  with 
rest. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  7.      Stand  erect  in  a  quiet  room. 
With  the  mind  upon  the  act,  slowly  lift  the  right  shoulder 
up  as  far  as  possible,  and  return  in  like  manner  to  natural 
position,  six  times. 

(2)  Repeat  with  the  left  shoulder,  six  times. 
Repeat  the  exercises  ten  times  for  ten  days,  with  rest. 

(a)  Exercise  No.  8.  Stand  erect  in  a  quiet  room.  With- 
out moving  the  feet,  twist  the  body  slowly  around  as  far  as 
possible,  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left.     Practise  six  times. 

(b)  Stand  erect,  hands  hanging  prone  at  the  sides. 
Bend  the  body  at  the  hips ;  straightforward  and  down  in 
front ;  to  the  right ;  to  the  left.     Practise  six  times. 

(<r)  Repeat  the  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days,  with 
rest,  as  above. 

These  exercises  are  designed  to  be  suggestive.  They 
can  be  varied.  Nevertheless,  an  order  should  be  deter- 
mined upon  and  rigidly  followed.  Perform  all  acts  slowly, 
deliberately,  with  the  mind  intently  fixed  upon  the  move- 
ment. Keep  the  Will-idea  present.  Throw  this  thought 
into  the  limbs  and  muscles  :  "  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL  1 
ATTENTION ! ! " 


Ethereal  Force  Awaits   Control,         163 

(1)  Exercise  No.  g.  Stand  erect.  Concentrate  thought 
upon  self.     Now  let  the  mind  affirm,  quietly,  resolutely, 
without  wandering :    "  I  am  receiving  helpful  forces  I     I 
am  open  to  all  good  influences  !     Streams  of  power  for 
body  and  mind  are  flowing  in  !     All  is  well ! !  "     Repeat 
these   and   similar   assertions  calmly  yet  forcibly   many 
times.     Do  not  be  passive.     Keep  the  sense  of  willing 
strongly  at  the  fore.     Will  to  be  in  the  best  possible  moral 
condition.     Rise  to  the  mood  of  the  three-fold  health  :  — 
of  body,  of  mind,  of  soul. 

(2)  Continue  this  exercise  fifteen  minutes,  with  brief 
intervals  of  rest,  at  least  every  morning  of  your  life. 

(3)  Whenever  worried  or  perplexed  or  weary,  go  into 
this  assertive  mood  and  welcome  the  forces  of  the  good. 
These  directions  if  followed  will  prove  of  priceless  value 
to  you. 

(a)  Exercise  No.  10.     Stand  erect.   Summons  a  sense 
of   resolution.      Throw  Will   into  the   act  of   standing. 
Absorbed  in  self,  think  calmly  but  with  power  these  words : 
"  I  am  standing  erect.     All  is  well !     I  am  conscious  of 
nothing  but  good !  "     Attaining  the  Mood  indicated,  walk 
slowly  and  deliberately  about  the  room.     Do  not  strut. 
Be  natural,  yet  encourage  a  sense  of  forcefulness.     Rest 
in  a  chair.     Repeat,  with  rests,  fifteen  minutes. 

(b)  Repeat  every  day  indefinitely. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  n.     Stand  erect.  In  the  same  Mood 
of  Will,  advance  slowly  to  a  table  and  take  a  book  in  the 
hand,  or  move  a  chair,  or  go  to  the  window  and  look  out. 
Every  act  must  be  a  willed  act,  and  full  of  Will. 

(2)  Repeat  fifteen  minutes  with  at  least  six  different 
objects. 

(3)  Continue  the  exercises  indefinitely. 


164  Exercises  for  the  Nerves. 

(a)  Exercise  No.  12.  After  a  moment's  rest,  deliber- 
ately walk  to  a  chair  and  be  seated.  Force  Will  into  the 
act.  Do  not  lop  down.  Do  not  seat  yourself  awkwardly. 
Do  not  sit  stiffly,  but  easily,  yet  erect.  Now,  with  the 
whole  mind  on  the  act  of  getting  up,  slowly  rise.  Try  to 
be  graceful,  try  to  be  natural,  for  Will  may  add  grace  to 
nature.  Cultivate  the  erect  posture,  whether  sitting, 
standing  or  walking.  Cultivate  the  vital  sense  in  all 
movements.  By  the  vital  sense  is  meant  the  feeling,  "  I 
am  alive  !  Splendidly  alive  ! "  If  you  are  thin-blooded, 
dyspeptic  and  nervous,  this  may  at  first  be  difficult,  but 
it  will  help  you  greatly. 

(£)  Repeat  fifteen  minutes. 

(c)  Continue  indefinitely. 

Exercise  No.  13.  The  nervous  system  is  very  apt  to 
become  a  tyrant.  When  it  is  shattered,  or  overtaxed, 
rest  and  a  physician  are  imperative  demands.  But  many 
people  who  regard  themselves  as  well  are  subject  to  its 
tyranny.  This  may  be  due  in  part  to  a  want  of  self- 
control.  The  following  directions  may  appear  to  be  ab- 
surd ;  nevertheless,  they  suggest  a  way  out  of  some  nervous 
difficulties  : 

Sometimes,  when  you  are  restive,  you  experience, 
x>n  retiring,  "creeping"  sensations  in  the  hair  of  your 
head  ;  the  back  of  your  neck  "  tickles ;"  a  needle  is  sud- 
denly thrust  into  your  arm,  or  a  feather  seems  to  be  roam- 
ing here  and  there  over  your  physiology.  Distracted  and 
robbed  of  sleep,  one  spot  is  slapped,  another  is  pinched, 
another  rubbed,  while  slumber  merely  "hangs  around." 
How  long  is  this  torture  to  continue  ?  So  long  as,  and 
no  longer  than,  you  permit.  Why  should  one  be  thus 
pestered  ?  One  needs  not  to  be.  It  is  simply  a  matter 
of  Will  and  persistence.  If  you  have  practised  the  sug- 


Ethereal  Force  Awaits   Control.          165 

gestions  relating  to  attention  and  abstraction,  you  have 
already  acquired  power  over  your  nerves  by  the  dominance 
of  mind.  In  regard  to  all  such  matters,  therefore,  culti- 
vate the  ability  to  turn  the  mind  elsewhere.  So  long  as 
one  slaps  and  rubs  and  pinches,  so  long  will  sensations 
diabolic  continue.  Cultivate  indifference  to  the  fly  by 
ignoring  it.  Do  not  think  about  it  at  all.  Put  the  mind 
upon  some  important  and  absorbing  subject  of  interest. 
Will  that  a  particular  "tickle"  shall  appear  at  some  other 
place,  making  choice  of  the  exact  spot ;  it  will  obey,  and 
meanwhile  you  will  forget  it.  If  it  does  not,  will  it  from 
one  place  to  another,  and  finally  will  that  it  shall  vanish  ; 
it  will  certainly  obey  in  the  end.  Similarly  with  regard 
to  any  other  distracting  "  feeling." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  everyone  exerts  such  self-control 
in  a  thousand  instances  daily.  The  clock's  ticking  is 
unnoticed  ;  the  railway  train  is  not  heard  ;  the  huckster's 
voice  is  not  perceived  ;  cattle  low,  and  birds  sing,  and 
children  shout,  and  a  city  roars,  while  the  mind  continues 
unmindful.  Busy  men  who  are  surrounded  by  dense 
populations,  and  residents  of  Niagara,  hear  neither  the 
"  indistinguishable  babble  "  of  life  nor  the  thunder  of 
Nature.  Shakespeare  has  said : 

"  The  crow  doth  sing  as  sweetly  as  the  lark 
When  neither  is  attended;  and,  I  think, 
The  nightingale,  if  she  should  sing  by  day, 
When  every  goose  is  cackling,  would  be  thought 
No  better  a  musician  than  the  wren." 

The  accustomed  ear  is  deaf  to  the  world.  But  the 
Will  hides  behind  the  tympanum  to  make  custom  its 
beneficent  muffler. 

"  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL  !  ATTENTION  !  1 " 


THE  HAND. 


Wisdom  designed  it, 
Struggle  divined  it, 
Ages  refined  it. 

Low  life  refused  it, 
Brute  life  abused  it, 
Spirit  life  used  it 

Reason  restrained  it. 
Discipline  trained  it, 
Art,  the  king,  gained  it. 

Put,  then,  thy  Will  in  it, 
Show  the  mind's  skill  in  if, 
Selfhood  fulfil. in  it. 


— TH»  AUTHOR 


CHAPTER  XV. 

EXERCISES  FOR  THE  HANDS. 

AM,  and  have  been,  any  time  these  thirty 
years,  a  man  who  works  with  his  hands  —  a 
handicraftsman.  If  the  most  nimble-fingered 
watch-maker  among  you  will  come  to  my  workshop,  he 
may  set  me  to  put  a  watch  together,  and  I  will  set  him  to 
dissect,  say,  a  blackbeetle's  nerves.  I  do  not  wish  to 
vaunt,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  I  shall  manage  my 
job  to  his  satisfaction  sooner  than  he  will  do  his  piece  of 
work  to  mine." —  Thos.  H.  Huxley. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 
The  hand,  mind's  execute  organ  ; 
The  consequent  need  of  a  perfect  executor  ; 
Culture  of  mind  through  mastery  of  hands  ; 
Enormous  reaction  upon  Will-power  of  culture  of  mind 
resolutely  determined  in  manual  training. 

The  hands  are  said  to  indicate,  in  a  general  way,  the 
nature  of  their  owner.  The  so-called  "  science  of  palmis- 
try" is  based  on  the  inner  lines  of  the  hand,  and  the 
delicate  curving  lines  of  the  finger-ends  are  now  observed 
in  prison  studies  for  the  identification  of  criminals.  Yet 
few  people  know  their  own  hands.  This  is  because  few 
people  really  understand  the  one  condition  of  all  knowl- 
edge, attention. 

Nevertheless,  the  hand  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  and 


168  Exercises  for  the   Hands. 

obedient  of  servants.  Industry,  invention,*  science,  art, 
reveal  the  range  of  its  nobility,  according  to  the  soul  be- 
hind it.  To  the  ditch-digger  it  may  be  a  claw  only  ;  to 
the  painter  and  sculptor  an  instrument  of  creative  power. 
A  catapult  or  a  wound-dresser,  a  sword-wielder  or  a 
swayer  of  the  pen,  a  food  producer  or  a  mind-revealer,  a 
tool  or  an  instrument  of  the  noblest  humanity,  the  hand  is 
servant  and  king  among  the  senses,  an  index  of  spirit- 
values,  a  prophet  of  all  the  future. 

PRELIMINARY. 

The  hand  is  the  executive  organ  of  the  body. 

As  the  body  is  the  instrument  of  mind,  the  hand, 
therefore,  becomes  mind's  chief  officer  in  life. 

The  savage  wills  to  procure  flesh  for  food :  the  out- 
come is  the  spear,  the  bow  and  arrow,  the  hook  and  net. 

The  hunter  wills  a  permanent  shelter :  the  outcome 
is  the  hammer,  the  axe,  the  saw,  the  trowel,  nails  and 
various  building  materials. 

The  house-dweller  wills  agriculture  :  the  outcome  is 
the  spade,  the  pickaxe,  the  shovel,  the  hoe,  the  plow,  the 
rake,  the  sickle,  scythe,  cradle,  mower,  reaper,  thresher, 
mill. 

The  farmer  wills  education :  the  outcome  is  pen,  ink 
and  paper,  the  printing-press,  the  laboratory,  the  micro- 
scope and  telescope,  the  library,  the  school  and  college. 

The  educated  soul  wills  art :  the  outcome  is  the 
chisel  and  mallet,  the  brush  and  pallet,  the  canvas  and 
the  museum. 

The  artistic  mind  wills  music  :  the  outcome  is  the 
reed,  string,  horn  —  orchestral  talent. 

These  all  will  government :  the  outcome  is  the  throne 
and  sceptre,  the  constitution,  the  court  and  council-rooms, 
the  sword,  gun,  treaty. 


The  King  Must  Also  Serve.  169 

Man  wills  religion  :  the  outcome  is  the  altar,  the 
Book,  the  Church,  the  Rubric  ;  the  Concrete  Philanthropy 
of  Soul. 

Every  single  step  in  this  long  journey,  the  hand  has 
been  omnipresent  as  the  Executive  of  the  Conquering  Will. 

Training  of  the  hand  always  reacts  upon  the  growing 
mind.  It  may  become  a  medium  by  which  to  culture  the 
soul  and  develop  the  Will.  Like  Will  —  like  hand.  But 
as  well,  like  hand  —  like  Will.  Whoever  puts  his  whole 
hand  to  the  growth  of  Will-power,  has  power  of  will  wholly 
in  hand. 

REGIMES. 

The  following  should  be  practised : 

(a)  Exercise  No.  i.  Examine  the  hands  carefully. 
Get  acquainted  with  them.  Note  their  peculiarities,  so 
intently  and  thoughtfully  that  you  can  form  a  mental 
picture  of  them  with  closed  eyes. 

(£)  Slowly  move  the  limp  ringers  of  the  right  hand  to- 
ward the  palm  until  they  touch  it,  and  return  in  the  same 
manner,  six  times. 

(f)  Repeat  while  bringing  the  thumb  in  the  same 
manner  under  to  meet  the  fingers  six  times. 

(</)  Repeat  with  stiffened  muscles,  each  exercise 
above,  six  times. 

(<?)  With  hand  extended,  open,  slowly  spread  fingers 
and  thumb  from  one  another,  and  return  to  touch,  six 
times. 

(/)   Repeat  all  exercises  with  the  left  hand,  six  times. 

(£•)  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two 
days. 

What  is  the  value  of  these  directions  ?  None  at  all, 
unless  you  think,  and  above  everything  else,  put  Will 
into  each  movement. 


170  Exercises  for  the   Hands. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  3.     Saw  off  six  inches  of  an  old 
broom-handle.     Stand  erect.     Fill  the  lungs.     With  the 
right  hand  held  straight  out  in  front  and  at  arm's  length, 
grasp  the  piece  of  wood,  and  slowly  and  gradually  grip 
the  same,  beginning  with  light  pressure  and  increasing  to 
the  limit  of  strength.     Repeat  six  times. 

(2)  Repeat  with  the  arm  straight  out  at  the  right  side, 
six  times. 

(3)  Repeat  with  the  arm  straight  up  from  the  right 
shoulder,  six  times. 

(4)  Repeat  with  the  arm  prone  at  the  right  side,  six 
times. 

(5)  Repeat   with  the  arm  straight  back  from  right 
side,  and  held  up  as  far  as  possible,  six  times. 

(6)  Now  exercise  the  left  hand  in  the  same  manner, 
following  the  order  above  indicated.     The  exercises  may 
be  alternated  between  the  right  hand  and  the  left.     Exam- 
ple :     Entire  exercise  with  right  hand ;  same   with  left, 
twelve  times.     Also,  each  part  of  exercise  with  right  and 
left  hands,  twelve  times. 

Remember,  the  lungs  should  be  inflated  during  each 
movement,  and  a  slight  rest  should  be  indulged  from 
time  to  time.  Above  all,  a  sense  of  Will  must  be  kept 
strongly  in  mind. 

(7)  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two 
days. 

(a)  Exercise  No.  j.  Procure  a  spring-balance  weigh- 
ing scale,  registering  ten  or  twelve  pounds.  Insert  the 
broomhandle  in  ring.  Drive  a  nail  into  a  table,  the  length 
of  the  balance  from  the  edge,  and  enough  more  to  permit 
the  thumb  of  the  hand  grasping  the  wood  to  curve  under 
the  table  edge  and  cling.  Now  throw  the  balance-hook 
over  the  nail,  grasp  the  wood  with  fingers  of  right  hand, 


The  King  Must  Also  Serve.  171 

thumb  under  table  edge,  and  by  finger  movement  only 
(do  not  pull  with  the  arm)  draw  on  the  balance  as  hard 
as  possible.  The  balance-hook  must  pull  on  nail  far 
enough  from  the  edge  of  the  table  to  prevent  the  fingers 
while  drawing  as  suggested  from  quite  touching  the  palm 
of  the  hand. 

(b)  Repeat,  with  intervals  of  rest,  six  times. 

(f)  Make  a  dated  record  of  pull  indicated  in  pounds 
and  fractions,  mark  right  hand,  and  preserve. 

(</)  Repeat  with  the  left  hand,  six  times. 

(e)  Continue  every  day  for  ten  days,  with  rest. 

On  the  tenth  day,  compare  records  and  note  progress. 

In  this  work,  never  fail  an  instant  to  put  Will  into 
each  movement 

In  particular,  note,  from  time  to  time,  whether  or 
not  you  can  increase  pulling  power  of  fingers  by  sheer 
exercise  of  Will.  Observe  which  hand  registers  greater 
improvement  in  given  time. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  4.     Rest  two  days  from  the  tenth 
day.     Repeat  the  above  exercises  with  right  and  left  hands 
alternately,  six  times  in  all,  while  some  one  is  playing 
upon  any   good  instrument  a  strong  and  rapid  musical 
composition.     Make  record  as  before. 

(2)  Continue  for  ten  days,  with  rest.     Summons  con- 
stantly a  feeling  of  the  greatest  resolution  possible,  during 
all  movements. 

On  the  tenth  day,  compare  records  and  note  im- 
provement in  each  hand.  Observe  which  hand  has  now 
made  the  greatest  improvement. 

Observe  especially  whether  music  has  seemed  to  in- 
crease Will-power.  Explain  that  fact. 

(a)  Exercise  No.  5.  Imagine  that  you  hold  a  revolver 
in  the  right  hand.  Now  think  of  pulling  the  trigger. 


172  Exercises  for  the   Hands. 

Throw  a  sense  of  great  energy  into  the  finger,  but  do  not 
move  it.  Now  hold  the  breath  and  repeat  the  imaginary 
act.  Do  you  feel  energy  in  the  finger  as  before  ?  Re- 
solve to  do  so.  Will  mightily  to  that  end. 

(b)  Repeat   with    all  fingers  in  turn.     Right  hand. 
Left  hand.     Six  times. 

(c)  Repeat  for  ten    days.     Observe  final   improve- 
ment. 

Exercise  No.  6.  Set  the  hands  to  the  learning  of 
some  useful  mechanical  trade  —  the  skillful  use  of  various 
tools,  as  carving,  engraving,  cabinet  making.  If  already 
so  employed,  take  up  some  musical  instrument,  or  drawing, 
or  painting.  Resolve  to  master  one  thing !  Persist  un- 
til the  goal  is  yours. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Strive  to  cultivate  and  maintain  a 
feeling  of  nice  and  confident  skill  while  engaged  in  any 
manual  work,  as  advised  in  '•'•Business  Power"  under  the 
caption,  "  Skilled  Craftsmanship."  "  The  idea  is  a  sense 
in  consciousness  of  nicety,  delicacy,  perfection,  in  every 
member  of  the  body,  used  at  any  time.  This  gives  har- 
mony between  the  conscious  and  the  deeper  or  subcon- 
scious self  —  a  harmony  always  needful  to  the  best  work. 
One  man  is  the  '  bull  in  the  china  closet ;'  another  is  deft- 
ness itself.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  most  skillful  persons 
possess  this  consciousness  without  being  particularly 
aware  of  it." 

Exercise  No.  8.  "  The  best  results  demand  a  man's 
best  conscious  powers  on  the  matter  in  hand.  You  are 
urged  to  multiply  yourself  into  what  you  do.  But  in 
doing  a  thing  skillfully,  having  the  skilled  feeling  devel- 
oped, you  really  depend  on  the  acquired  habits  and 
ability  which  previous  thought  has  '  bedded  down '  in  the 
deeper  self.  You  should,  therefore,  remember  that  the 


The  Xing  Must  Also  Serve.  173 

trained  deeper  self  may  be  trusted.  Oftentimes,  when 
your  ordinary  thinking  becomes  over-anxious  or  '  flurried, ' 
you  confuse  your  own  skill.  Some  things  which  we  do 
perfectly  without  conscious  effort,  we  immediately  '  muss 
up '  if  we  try  carefully  to  attend  to  all  details.  Do  not 
permit  the  hurried  feeling  to  take  possession  of  your 
nerves.  When  such  feeling  does  occur,  quiet  yourself  by 
an  act  of  Will ;  turn,  if  necessary,  to  other  work  for  a 
time,  and  thus  prevent  the  habit  of  unsteadiness  of  spirit 
and  body,  so  obviating  '  hair-trigger  '  conditions  and  a 
thousand  blunders." 

Exercise  No.  p.  Above  all,  never  permit  yourself  to 
be  pushed  in  your  work  beyond  a  pace  consistent  with 
the  best  results.  A  young  woman  was  engaged  in  con- 
structing a  very  decorative  piece  of  lettering  and  border- 
ing, the  subjects  being  the  "  Creed  "  of  the  author  and 
"The  Ten  Golden  Laws."  In  her  haste  to  meet  his 
wishes  on  time,  she  pushed  herself  just  beyond  her  nor- 
mal skill  and  correctness.  The  result  was  two  rather 
serious  errors  which  called  for  laborious  revision.  Here 
we  see  the  fact  of  unsteadiness  both  of  hand  and  mind. 
Remember,  when  the  mind  is  steady  the  hand  is  almost 
sure  to  follow  that  condition. 

These  exercises  may  be  continued  with  profit,  pro- 
vided the  idea  of  Will  is  everlastingly  borne  in  mind. 


BUBBLES. 


Bubbles,  filmy,  evanescent, 
Never  a  moment  quite  quiescent 
Save  when  day's  ethereal  breath 
Darks  their  rainbow  hues  in  death 

Bubbles,  surface  ebulitions, 
Born  of  alien  attritions; 
Rocks  at  bed  and  shores  at  side, 
Jealous  of  the  far-off  tide. 

Soul,  thy  many  souls  elusive 
Sphere  the  outer  life  obtrusive: 
Films  diaphanous  emerge 
Where  frets  hinder,  small  things  urge. 

Seek  the  large  life  quintessential, 
Holding  self  all  reverential.' 
Seek  thy  sea.  majestic,  vast, 
Where  the  steady  stars  are  glassed. 

Sea?    Thou  art  the  sea,  ne'er  river, 
Power  within  is  thy  life's  giver; 
Peace  be  thine  on  stormless  deeps ! 
Peace  whose  power  thy  selfhood  keeps. 


—  THB  AUTHO*. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

EXERCISES  IN  STEADINESS. 

JHE  most  interesting  fact  about  these  experi- 
ments in  steadiness  is  that  the  Will  is  to 
have  a  steady  position,  but  the  execution  is 
defective.  As  the  Will  is  exerted  the  steadiness  of 
position  is  increased.  This  is  sometimes  so  marked  as  to 
be  visible  to  the  eye  directly.  I  have  seen  the  scalpel 
tremble  in  a  surgeon's  hand  so  that  a  serious  accident  ap- 
peared inevitable ;  yet  when  the  supreme  moment  came 
the  hand  guided  the  knife  with  admirable  steadiness." — 
Prof.  E.  W.  Scripture. 

THEORY  OF   THIS  CHAPTER. 

Physical  quietness  conducive  to  self-control ; 
Self-control  the  generator  of  energy  ; 
Regulation  of  energy  a  dynamo  of  Will. 

The  importance  of  steady  nerves  is  everywhere  ap- 
parent The  unsteady  duelist  is  doomed.  The  nervous 
surgeon  acquires  small  practice.  The  trembling  pen 
writes  a  crabbed  "  hand."  The  agitated  speaker  loses 
his  audience.  Great  undertakings  frequently  require  per- 
fect mastery  of  the  body — in  games,  in  business,  in 
national  affairs.  The  ninth  inning  of  an  even  game  of 
ball  will  largely  depend  upon  Will  and  self-control  When 
the  engineer  of  a  fast  mail  train  cannot  "  hold  himself  up  " 
to  a  mile  a  minute,  he  must  give  way  to  a  better  man. 


176  Exercises  in  Steadiness. 

Diplomacy,  in  trade,  politics  and  international  councils, 
demands  the  impassive  face.  The  movement  of  an  eye- 
lash often  involves  the  destinies  of  life  and  of  war. 

Under  fierce  provocation  men  sometimes  find  the 
nerves  giving  way  to  pressure  of  anger  or  fear ;  the  soul 
then  commands  itself :  "  Steady,  now  !  Steady !"  Body 
responds  to  conditions  of  mind.  If  mind  is  a-tremble, 
nerves  reveal  the  fact.  The  panic  of  fear  sets  the  nervous 
system  on  the  edge  of  collapse,  resulting,  unless  mastered, 
in  the  stampede  of  a  western  ranch  or  the  tumultuous 
rout  of  a  Bull  Run  battle.  The  controlling  and  fearless 
man  is  one  who  is  "  nerved  "  to  the  situation.  The  value 
of  attention  to  steadiness  is  thus  indicated.  Such  value 
has  a  physical  relation  through  mind  ;  but  it  may  also 
affect  mind  through  body. 

PRELIMINARY. 

Of  course  "  trembly  "  nerves  which  are  the  result  of 
disease  require  medical  treatment.  But  this  trembling 
may  frequently  be  overcome  by  intelligent  practice  and 
determined  Will.  In  the  end  any  such  practice  must  tend 
to  increase  the  power  of  Will  itself.  Dr.  Scripture  asks  : 

"Can  steadiness  be  increased  by  practice?  This 
problem  can  be  answered  in  respect  to  the  hand."  And, 
after  records  of  experiments,  he  says  : 

"  The  question  of  the  possibility  of  gaining  in  steadi- 
ness by  practice  is  thus  definitely  settled." 

The  chief  object  of  the  following  suggestions  is 
growth  of  Will.  Hence,  Will  must  always  be  present  in 
the  movements  directed.  Let  the  mind  constantly  affirm  : 
"Attention!  I  resolve  to  will!  I  am  wholly  engaged  in 
willing  this  act/"  REGIMES 

(<z)  Exercise  No.  i.  Stand  erect.  Breathe  naturally. 
In  the  most  resolute  mood  possible  stand  perfectly  still 


Nerve  Leakage  Saps  the  Brain.          177 

while  counting  one  hundred  at  a  moderate  rate.  There 
should  be  no  movements  except  those  of  breathing  and 
winking.  Do  not  stare.  Do  not  permit  thefaody  to  sway. 
Stand  firmly,  but  naturally.  Relax  and  rest  one  hundred 
counts.  Repeat,  with  rests,  six  times. 

(£)  Be  seated,  erect,  but  in  an  easy  posture.  Re- 
main perfectly  quiet  as  above  directed  while  you  count 
one  hundred.  Rest  as  before.  Repeat  with  rests,  six 
times. 

(f)  Repeat  above  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days, 
with  rest  of  two  days.  The  time  suggested  is  merely  an 
example ;  practice  may  well  be  continued  indefinitely. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  2.     Stand  erect.     Breathe  and  wink 
naturally.     Fix  the  eyes  upon  some  small  object  on  the 
wall  of  your  room,  say  a  nail-head  or  the  corner  of  a  pic- 
ture, or   a   round   spot  made   with   a  pencil,  and  large 
enough  to  be  seen  at  a  distance  of  eight  feet.     Place  the 
tip  of  the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand,  palm  toward  face, 
directly  on  a  line  running  from  the  right  eye  to  such  ob- 
ject or  spot.     Slowly  move  the  hand,  palm  toward  the 
face,  from  your  body  along  such  imaginary  line,  keeping 
the  tip  of  finger  rigidly  thereon,  until  the  arm  is  fully  ex- 
tended, and  return  to  original  position  in  the  same  man- 
ner —  six  times. 

(2)  Repeat  with  edge  of  hand  toward  face,  six  times. 

(3)  Repeat  with  back  of  hand  toward  face,  six  times. 

(4)  Repeat,  shutting   thumb    and    first  finger,  with 
second  finger,  six  times. 

(5)  Repeat   with   each  of  the  remaining  fingers  as 
above  suggested,  six  times. 

(6)  Repeat  with  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand. 

(7)  Continue  these  exercises  every  day  for  ten  days, 
with  rest. 


178  Exercises  in  Steadiness. 

(a)  Exercise  No,  j.     Stand  erect.     Extend  the  right 
arm,   limp,  at  full  length,  pointing   with   the  forefinger. 
Move  the  whole  limp  arm,  slowly  and  evenly,  from  left  to 
right,  so  as  to  describe  a  perfect  circle  of  several  feet  dia- 
meter, drawing  it  with  the  finger.     Six  times.     Not  too 
rapidly.     Do  not  jerk.     Control  trembling  and  unevenness 
of  movement. 

(b)  Reverse,  six  times. 

(c)  Repeat    with    arm  stiffened,    and    reverse,   six 
times. 

(</)  Move  the  limp  left  arm  from  left  to  right,  run- 
ning tip  of  finger  along  an  imaginary  line  as  diameter  of 
the  circle,  six  times. 

(e)  Reverse,  six  times. 

(/)  Repeat  with  stiffened  arm,  six  times.     Reverse, 
six  times. 

(g)  Repeat  with  right  arm  limp,  from  right  to  left,  on 
a  straight  line,  six  times ;  stiffened  arm,  six  times. 
(X)  Reverse,  six  times. 
(/)  Repeat  and  reverse  with  left  arm  limp. 
(/)  Repeat  and  reverse  with  right  arm  stiffened,  six 
times.     Left  arm,  six  times. 

(£)  Move  limp  arm  —  right  arm  —  down  perpendic- 
ularly, running  finger  down  a  line  from  upper  to  lower 
curve  of  circle,  six  times. 
(/)  Reverse,  six  times. 

(m)  Repeat  with  stiffened   right  arm,  six  times,  re- 
versing, six  times. 

(«)  Repeat  exercises  with  left  arm  and  hand. 

(0)  Continue  for  ten  days,  with  rest. 

(1)  Exercise  No.  4.     Assume  any  position  with  the 
entire  body,  or  any  part.     Maintain   it   steadily  while 
counting  one  hundred.     Rest.     Repeat  six  times. 


Nerve  Leakage  Saps  the  Brain.         179 

(2)  Repeat   with  various  other  positions,  each   six 
times,  for  ten  days. 

(3)  During  all  this  practice,  the  mind  must  not  be 
permitted  to  wander  in  the  least.     You  must  think  every 
act  intently.     Put  the   Will-sense   into   all    movements. 
The  eyes  must  follow   the  lines  suggested.     The  head 
should   not  move  with  the  arms.     Throw  the  Will  into 
the   end   of  the  finger.     Maintain   always  the  resolute 
mood.     Remember  the  goal. 

"  He   who   is   incapable   of   controlling  his  muscles," 
said  Maudsley,  "is  incapable  of  attention." 

Exercise  No.  5*.  This  exercise  should  be  observed 
during  life.  Acquire  the  habit  of  physical  quietness  while 
the  body  is  mainly  at  rest.  Whether  sitting  or  standing 
eliminate  all  unnecessary  movements  of  hands,  fingers, 
legs,  feet,  eyes,  lips.  A  nervous  youth  who  was  subject 
to  twitching  of  the  hands  and  features,  was  cured  by  the 
threat  of  an  old  sea-captain,  with  whom  he  made  a  long 
voyage,  that  he  would  flog  him  unless  the  habit  was  mas- 
tered. Fear  aroused  the  Will.  Set  your  Will  to  the  con- 
trol of  such  movements.  In  order  thereto,  practise  stated 
periods  of  sitting  and  standing  while  thinking  of  these 
motions  but  resolutely  forbidding  them.  Set  regular 
hours  for  this  exercise,  varied  in  position,  in  the  morning, 
fifteen  minutes.  Always  practise  when  weary  or  nervous. 
Put  into  the  exercise  great  strength  but  calmness  of  Will. 

A  striking  suggestion  of  your  power  in  this  direction 
may  be  seen  in  the  following  paragraph  : 

In  the  Life  of  Dr.  Elisha  Kane,  the  famous  Arctic 
explorer,  his  biographer  says  :  "  I  asked  him  for  the  best 
proved  instance  that  he  knew  of  the  soul's  power  over  the 
body.  He  paused  a  moment  upon  my  question  as  if  to 
feel  how  it  was  put,  and  then  answered  as  with  a  spring : 


180  Exercises  in  Steadiness. 

'The  soul  can  lift  the  body  out  of  its  boots,  sir  !  When 
our  captain  was  dying  —  I  say  dying ;  I  have  seen  scurvy 
enough  to  know  —  every  old  scar  in  his  body  a  running 
ulcer.  I  never  saw  a  case  so  bad  that  either  lived  or  died. 
Men  die  of  it,  usually,  long  before  they  are  as  ill  as  he 
was.  There  was  trouble  aboard.  There  might  be  mutiny 
so  soon  as  the  breath  was  out  of  his  body.  We  might  be 
at  each  others'  throats.  I  felt  that  he  owed  the  repose  of 
dying  to  the  service.  I  went  down  to  his  bunk,  and 
shouted  in  his  ear,  '  Mutiny !  Captain  !  Mutiny  ! '  He 
shook  off  the  cadaverous  stupor.  '  Set  me  up  ! '  said  he, 
*  and  order  these  fellows  before  me ! '  He  heard  the  com- 
plaint, ordered  punishment,  and  from  that  hour  conva- 
lesced.'" 

Exercise  No.  6.  The  surest  steadiness  of  nerves  and 
muscles  must  come  from  poise  of  soul  and  tone  of  health. 
You  can  acquire  the  first  if  you  will  take  a  few  minutes 
each  day  for  absolute  quietness  of  mind  and  body,  shut- 
ting out  all  ideas  of  hurry,  worry,  business  and  activity  of 
every  kind,  thinking  intensely  of,  and  asserting  that  you 
are  now  in,  a  state  of  perfect  mental  poise. 

The  tone  of  health  is  provided  for  in  the  following 
chapter  and  in  "Power  For  Success."  A  self-controlled, 
vigorous  person  should  possess  steadiness  of  nerves, 
though  occasions  may  arise  in  which  the  Will  must  be 
called  on  for  assertion  of  existing  power.  Edward  Car- 
penter tells  a  strong  story  in  "The  Art  of  Creation" 
which  illustrates  the  value  of  great  physical  vigor  on 
emergency,  and  suggests  what  general  poise  plus  power 
of  Will  may  achieve  under  psychic  stress  equal  to  that  of 
the  freezing  conditions  referred  to  in  the  incident. 

"  I  knew  a  miner  from  Manitoba  —  and  a  good 
wholesome  man  he  was  —  who  told  me  that  one  night  a 


Nerve  Leakage  Saps  the  Brain.         181 

stranger  knocked  at  the  door  of  his  log-cabin  on  the  edge 
of  Lake  Superior  and  begged  help,  saying  that  he  and  a 
companion  had  been  crossing  the  lake  on  the  ice,  and 
that  the  companion  had  given  out.  He  who  had  knocked 
at  the  door  had  come  on  alone  for  assistance.  My  friend 
picked  up  a  lantern,  and  the  two  hurried  down  across  the 
ice.  The  night  was  very  cold  and  dark,  but  after  some 
searching  they  found  the  man.  He  was  lying  stretched 
frozen  and  'stiff  as  a  log.'  They  picked  him  up  and 
carried  him  back  to  the  cabin,  and  sat  up  all  night  and 
into  the  next  day  continually  rubbing  and  chafing  his 
body.  At  last  he  came  to  and  made  a  complete  recovery, 
and  in  a  few  days  —  except  for  some  marks  of  frost-bite 
on  his  skin  —  showed  no  sign  of  damage.  Surely  that 
was  a  holy  man,  in  whom  the  frost,  though  it  went  right 
through  his  body,  could  find  no  sin." 

A  "  holy "  man  is  a  whole  man,  and  the  latter  pos- 
sesses nerves  and  physical  tone  equal  to  all  demands  — 
as  should  be  true  of  every  human  who  is  king  (or  queen) 
in  the  inner  and  the  outer  life.  For  when  you  are  "  holy," 
whole,  sound,  you  command  both  body  and  mind. 


HEALTH. 


The  sea,  the  pine,  the  stars,  the  forest  deep 

Bequeath  to  me  their  subtle  wealth. 
Or  still  days  brood,  or  rough  winds  round  me  sweep, 

Mine  is  the  earth-man's  vibrant  health: 
All  things  for  love  of  me  their  vigils  keep  — 

/  have  the  health,  the  wealth. 

Run,  sea,  in  my  heart! 
Pine,  sing  in  my  heart  / 
Stars,  glow  in  my  heart  / 

For  ye  are  mine,  and  my  soul, 
Like  ye,  is  a  part 

Of  the  wonderful  Whole. 

TTiere  's  no  thing  dear  to  me  is  not  my  wealth, 
No  life  that  seeks  me  I  would  distant  keep  y 

For  swift  possession  is  my  earth-man's  health 

Or  still  days  brood,  or  rough  winds  round  me  sweep — 
I  have  the  health,  the  wealth. 

—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

GENERAL  HEALTH. 

ARRYING  any  business  or  study  in  the  mind 
all  the  time,  day  and  night,  morning  and 
evening,  does  not  really  advance  that  busi- 
ness so  much  as  forgetting  it  at  intervals  and  letting  the 
mind  rest,  as  you  allow  your  muscles  to  rest  after  any 
physical  exertion.  Mind  allowed  to  rest  gains  new  ideas 
and  new  force  to  carry  out  ideas. 

"  What  is  the  remedy  ?  More  recreation.  More 
variety  of  occupation.  More  selves  in  our  one  self.  To 
attain  the  highest  and  happiest  life  we  need  to  have  two, 
and  possibly  three,  if  not  four  lives  in  one  —  to  be  mer- 
chant in  the  morning  and  artist  or  yachtman  or  something 
else  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  the  second  life  forget  for  the 
time  all  about  the  first,  and  in  such  forgetfulness  rest  the 
first  life  or  set  of  faculties,  recuperate  them,  refresh  them, 
and  go  back  to  business,  or  art,  or  science,  or  any  occupa- 
tion, next  day,  with  more  force,  plan,  idea,  thought  to  put 
in  it." — Prentice  Mulford. 

THEORY  OF  THIS  CHAPTER. 

State  of  Will  depends  upon  condition  of  physical  health  ; 

Physical  health  is  a  goal  of  science,  and  is  reached 
through  the  resolute  and  persistent  Will ; 

Every  rule  of  health  deliberately  followed  becomes  a 
developer  of  Will-power. 

The  momentum  of  a  well  person  thrown  into  Will- 
culture  is  enormous,  and  is  certain  of  great  attainments. 


184  General  Health. 

A  condition  of  general  health  is  of  paramount  im- 
portance to  development  of  Will.  In  a  sense,  Will-power 
is  emphatic  personality,  and  the  emphasis  of  personal 
resolution,  which  is  the  strong  Will,  depends  largely  upon 
physical  conditions.  There  are  great  Wills  in  feeble 
bodies,  but  this  is  probably  the  exception.  The  influence 
of  pain,  discouragement,  invalidism,  upon  our  power  of 
willing,  is  well  known.  Ordinarily  a  man's  average  power 
of  Will  is  determined  by  his  average  of  health.  "  Hence 
vigorous  self-determination  depends  upon  plentiful  and 
wholesome  blood  supply,  or  ultimately  upon  good  food 
well  digested  and  good  air  well  inhaled.  The  secret  of 
energy,  and  even  of  ethics,  in  the  last  analysis,  is  largely 
in  sound  digestion  and  good  ventilation.  Lessen  or  viti- 
ate the  supply  of  blood,  and  you  may  produce  any  desired 
degree  of  inaction  and  helplessness.  On  the  contrary, 
cerebral  congestion  in  a  vigorous  person  (as  in  the  insane) 
may  generate  tremendous  outbursts  of  muscular  activity 
and  stern  resolution." 

Undoubtedly  the  mind  exercises  a  great  influence 
over  the  body,  and  when  sufficient  Will-power  can  be 
mustered  to  banish  fear  and  nervousness,  and  to  summons 
a  strong  psychic  condition,  certain  forms  of  ailing  or  dis- 
ease may  be  benefited  or  even  cured.  "  Will  to  be  well ! 
This,  strictly  speaking,  is  the  '  mind  cure ';  is  potent  in 
nerve  diseases,  and  is  not  useless  in  other  maladies." 
Every  intelligent  physician  understands  this  and  seeks  to 
cultivate  in  his  patients  the  helpful,  assertive  and  hopeful 
mood  of  mind.  "  A  strong  motive  to  live  positively  keeps 
some  people  alive,"  said  a  noted  Scotch  physician. 

But  mind  is  influenced  by  body.  Frequently  such 
influence  masters  the  soul  before  Will  can  be  summoned, 
and  to  such  a  degree  that  the  necessary  sense  of  Will  can 
no  more  be  put  forth  than  a  determination  to  perform  a 


A    Temple  for  Emphatic  Personality.     185 

physical  or  religious  miracle.  Hence,  the  best  advice  of 
common  sense  in  regard  to  health  would  attempt  to  com- 
bine these  forces  of  nature  —  proper  attention  to  physical 
conditions,  a  resolute  state  of  Will,  and  tried  and  proved 
medical  practice.  But  see  Rule  14  below. 

"  Nevertheless,  it  is  important  fully  to  understand," 
as  Dr.  A.  T.  Schofield  remarks  in  "The  Unconscious 
Mind,"  "  that  when  the  brain  is  restored  to  health  by 
good  nerve  tissue  and  healthy  blood,  it  can  be  made  by 
suggestion  to  exercise  as  healthy  an  influence  over  the 
body  as  previously  it  exercised  a  harmful  one.  If  ideal 
centres  can  produce  ideal  diseases,  surely  the  rational 
cure  is  to  bring  these  ideal  centres  into  a  healthy  condi- 
tion, and  then  make  them  the  means  of  curing  the  ideal 
disease.  Mental  disease  requires,  and  can  ultimately 
only  be  cured  by,  mental  medicine." 

In  time  of  peace  prepare  for  war.  In  time  of  health 
fortify  against  disease.  Here  notice 

SOME  IMPORTANT  RULES. 

Rule  /.  Food  should  be  regulated  according  to 
peculiarities  of  body  and  general  work  performed.  Water 
which  is  pure  should  be  freely  drunk.  Plenty  of  sound 
sleep  should  be  secured,  and  slumber  should  be  enhanced 
by  plenty  of  pure  air.  Most  people  drink  too  little  water. 
The  air  of  many  sleeping  rooms  would  kill  a  wild  Indian. 
Regularity  of  habits  should  be  cultivated.  Sufficient  exer- 
cise must  be  taken  to  keep  the  muscles  from  degeneration 
and  to  vitalize  the  blood  by  activity  of  lungs. 

Rule  2,  Rest  is  also  important.  For  the  laboring 
man  absolute  idleness  is  not  always  rest ;  interested 
activity  which  brings  unused  muscles  into  play  is  better. 
This  general  truth  lies  at  the  bottom  of  popular  employ- 
ment of  the  day  called  Sunday.  But  such  employment  is 


186  General  Health. 

largely  injurious  rather  than  beneficial.  It  frequently  in- 
volves wrong  methods  as  well  as  various  excesses.  The 
most  wholesome  rest  as  yet  discovered  for  that  day  is 
suggested  by  religion.  If  you  sneer  at  this  proposition, 
that  shows  that  you  do  not  know  what  real  religion  is  — 
or  that  your  Will  is  set  in  directions  contrary  to  the  deep- 
est instincts  of  mankind.  There  are  people  who  are  al- 
ways too  tired  to  attend  religious  exercises  on  Sunday, 
who  nevertheless  waste  health  in  other  ways,  or  dawdle 
around  with  listless  energies  that  exercise  neither  mind 
nor  muscles.  The  normally  and  intelligently  religious 
person  never  complains  that  his  observance  of  the  Day 
wearies  or  unfits  him  for  the  week  following.  To  be  sure, 
it  is  possible  to  "  dissipate "  in  this  matter,  and  some 
people  shoulder  the  universe  while  church  bells  are  ring- 
ing, leaving,  apparently  little  for  the  Almighty  to  accom- 
plish alone.  Nevertheless,  testimony  agrees  that  a  health- 
ful religious  use  of  Sunday  tones  the  system  in  every 
department.  This  is  not  Puritanism ;  it  is  common  sense. 
The  laboring  man  would  improve  his  condition  if  he 
would  quit  his  enemies  and  ally  himself  with  at  least  a 
little  semblance  of  sound  reason. 

Rule  j.  Above  all,  anger,  irritation,  jealousy,  de- 
pression, sour  feelings,  morose  thoughts,  worry,  should  be 
forever  banished  from  mind  by  the  resolute,  masterful 
Will.  All  these  are  physiological  devils.  They  not  only 
disturb  the  mind,  but  'injure  the  body  by  developing 
poisons  and  distorting  cells.  They  prevent  an  even  cir- 
culation. The  poisons  which  they  generate  are  deadly  in 
the  extreme.  They  induce  more  or  less  permanent 
physiological  states  which  are  inimical  to  vigorous  Will. 
They  dispel  hopefulness,  and  obscure  high  motives,  and 
lower  the  mental  tone.  They  should  be  cast  out  of  life 


A   Temple  for  Emphatic  Personality.     187 

with  the  resolution  that  as  aliens  they  shall  always  be 
treated. 

REGIMES. 

Rule  4.  Resolve,  then,  upon  the  following  perpetual 
regimes : 

1.  Determine  to  live  in  a  regular  manner.     Never- 
theless, be  master  of  rules,  not  slave. 

2.  Shun  rich  pastries  and  foods  and  drinks  which 
stimulate  but  do  not  nourish. 

3.  Keep  the  body  clean.     Bathe  frequently,  always 
rinsing  in  fresh  water,  cooler  than  the  first,  unless  you  are 
convalescent,  and  dry  thoroughly. 

Rule  5.  Attention!  A  bit  of  perfumery  dropped 
into  the  bath,  or  applied  thereafter,  will  cultivate  physical 
pride  —  not  vanity  —  which  will  prize  the  body  and  make 
clean  flesh  a  delight. 

Rule  6.  After  vigorous  drying  rub  and  knead  and 
slap  for  a  few  minutes.  If  the  bath  has  been  taken  dur- 
ing the  day,  keep  up  a  gentle  but  resolute  activity  a  short 
time  before  going  out  of  the  dressing-room.  Then  assume 
a  self-possessed  and  assertive  mood  of  mind,  with  Will 
strongly  at  the  fore. 

If  the  bath  is  taken  before  retiring,  get  into  a  clean 
garment,  and  then  sprawl  over  every  foot  of  bed-linen,  of 
a  proper  temperature,  luxuriating,  resting,  conscious  of 
being  a  clean  and  very  good  sort  of  person.  Now  note 
with  shut  eyes  what  you  see  of  colors  and  shapes  in  the 
inky  darkness  before  you,  and  sleep. 

Rule  7.  Drink  at  least  four  full  glasses  <Apure  water 
every  day  unless  you  are  too  fleshy,  in  which  case  consult 
a  physician.  For  most  people  more  would  probably  be 
better.  In  addition,  drink  whenever  you  want  water,  ex- 


l88  General  Health. 

cept  when  heated.  If  heated,  refresh  the  mouth  by  rins- 
ing, but  do  not  swallow  for  a  time.  Of  course  it  is  here 
supposed  that  you  have  stopped  exercise  in  a  heated  con- 
dition. Drink  at  your  meals,  before,  after.  Do  n't  gulp 
ice-water.  Do  n't  boil  your  stomach  with  hissing  hot 
water.  A  good  drink  is  composed  of  rather  hot  water 
with  milk  to  color  well,  and  enough  salt  to  taste.  Drink 
water  freely  before  retiring. 

Rule  8.  Make  sure  of  pure  air  in  your  sleeping 
room.  Don't  sleep  in  a  draft.  If  possible  sleep  with 
head  away  from  open  door  or  window.  Place  a  light 
screen  between  yourself  and  the  source  of  air.  See  to  it, 
kowever,  that  the  pure  air  can  get  to  you.  Do  n't  sleep 
in  a  hot  room.  Do  n't  sleep  in  a  freezing  atmosphere. 

Rule  p.  Keep  your  sleeping-room  clean.  Make  it 
attractive.  That  room  ought  to  be  the  best  in  the  house. 
It  is  frequently  the  poorest.  If  it  is  a  small  hired  room, 
sacrifice  many  things  for  furniture,  pictures,  ornaments, 
articles  of  toilet.  Do  not  suppose  that,  because  you  are 
a  male  biped,  you  are  above  these  suggestions.  You  are 
occupied  with  dirt  all  day ;  why  not  get  away  from  dirt  at 
might  ?  Man  is  an  animal  with  a  soul,  and  therefore  may 
mot  wisely  "  bunk  down  "  like  a  dog,  or  "  stall  in  "  like  a 
korse  or  an  ox. 

Rule  10.  Keep  body  and  clothing  as  clean  as  pos- 
sible. Labor,  in  a  clean  shirt  and  blouse,  can  do  better 
work  than  in  garments  grimy  with  dirt  and  grease. 
People  who  do  not  handle  dirt  have,  of  course,  no  excuse 
for  being  unclean.  There  is  also  unnoticed  benefit  in 
occasional  change  of  the  outer  garments.  It  rejuvenates 
a  suit  of  clothing  or  a  dress  to  hang  it  in  good  air  a  day 
or  two.  The  mind  of  the  wearer  in  turn  gets  a  fresh  feel- 
ing by  donning  different  clothing,  or  by  varying  the  com- 


A    Temple  for  Emphatic  Personality.     189 

bination.  Even  a  fresh  necktie  or  polished  shoes  make  a 
man  feel  new  for  an  hour,  and  that  is  eminently  worth  the 
while.  Few  people  are  dandies  or  flirts ;  hence  a  flower 
on  the  person  every  day  would  minister  to  self-respect  and 
a  high-toned  consciousness,  having  a  direct  bearing  upon 
the  soul's  power  of  Will.  A  handkerchief  touched  with 
a  bit  of  perfumery,  though  it  be  a  red  bandana  in  a  me- 
chanic's hands,  would  serve  a  similar  purpose.  Let  fools 
laugh !  A  good  Will  has  no  care  for  asses'  braying.  A 
real  man  need  be  neither  a  prig  nor  a  boor. 

"  It  is  related  of  Haydn,  the  musician,  that,  when  he 
sat  down  to  compose,  he  always  dressed  himself  with  the 
utmost  care,  had  his  hair  nicely  powdered,  and  put  on  his 
best  suit.  Frederick  II.  had  given  him  a  diamond  ring ; 
and  Haydn  declared  that,  if  he  happened  to  begin  without 
it,  he  could  not  summon  a  single  idea.  He  could  write 
only  on  the  finest  paper  ;  and  was  as  particular  in  forming 
his  notes,  as  if  he  had  been  engraving  them  on  copper- 
plate." 

Rule  77.  Similarly  as  to  good  music.  "  Take  a 
music-bath  once  or  twice  a  week  for  a  few  seasons,"  said 
Dr.  O.  W.  Holmes,  "  and  you  will  find  that  is  to  the  soul 
what  the  water-bath  is  to  the  body."  This  elevates  and 
tends  to  maintain  the  tone  of  one's  mind.  Seek,  therefore, 
every  clean  opportunity  for  hearing  it.  Purchase  some 
kind  of  instrument  for  the  home,  and  see  that  its  benefi- 
cent harmonies  are  often  heard.  Let  music  be  as  much  a 
part  of  the  day's  routine  as  eating  or  reading  or  working. 

Rule  12.  Discard,  resolutely  and  forever,  everything 
thought  to  be  injurious  to  health. 

Rule  7j.  Always  and  everywhere  cultivate  high- 
mindedness.  Maintain  the  resolute  Mood  of  Will.  As- 


190  General  Health. 

sert  yourself,  for  every  good  influence,  against  every  evil 
thing.  Carry  with  you  in  all  activities  the  sense  of 
nobility,  of  health,  of  success. 

Rule  14.  It  should  now  be  added  that  beyond  dis- 
pute personal  power  for  maintaining  and  securing  health 
is  not  confined  to  mere  Will  as  commonly  understood. 
Below  all  moods  of  cheerfulness,  hope  courage  and  Will — 
in  ordinary  thought  —  hides  a  dynamic  psychic  force 
which  is  capable  even  of  "miracles,"  and  which  will 
ultimately  rid  the  earth  of  disease  and  death.  This 
psychic  force  is  expressed  partly  in  mental  thought,  but 
more  perfectly  and  prophetically  in  a  psychic  state  which 
is  a  complex  of  assumption,  assertion,  Will  or  sovereign 
authority  —  an  idea  of  command  in  action  conquering 
illness  and  securing  health  —  and  confidence  and  profound 
realization  —  that  is,  thought-feeling  of  betterment. 

The  path  leading  to  such  state  is  that  of  expecting 
effort  to  feel  the  state  within  the  inner  centre  of  person. 
One  should  affirm  that  universal  good  is  pouring  in  ;  one 
should  assume  and  assert  the  fact ;  one  should  assume 
and  assert  that  the  ground  of  one's  existence  is  the  In- 
finite Reality,  that  one  has  deeply  imbedded  in  the  deeps 
of  soul  the  idea  of  self  as  whole  because  the  Infinite 
Ground  does  not  and  cannot  wish  otherwise,  and  that  as 
the  universal  good  enters  from  without  and  the  Infinite 
Self  emerges  from  below  up  into  the  subconscious  per- 
sonal self,  all  inharmonious  conditions  are  necessarily 
passing  away  —  being  expelled.  Those  who  accept  the 
Christian  religion  are  referred  to  the  author's  lectures  on 
"The  Bible  and  the  New  Thought,"  for  a  condensed 
study,  which  ought  to  prove  helpful. 

The  process  above  suggested  cannot  be  acquired  by 
brief  and  haphazard  efforts.  The  soul  must  essay  the 


A    Temple  for  Emphatic  Personality.      191 

process  again  and  again  until  it  discovers  the  process. 
Thereafter  it  must  put  the  process  into  action  incessantly 
until  facility  and  power  in  its  use  are  acquired. 

But  observe  :  In  real  illness  call  your  physician  AND 
at  the  same  time  bring  your  psychic  power  into  requisition. 
The  notion  that  the  physician  and  psycho-auto  treatment 
are  inconsistent  and  antagonistic  is  utterly  false.  Do  not 
omit  either  method.  Rise  to  the  highest  level  of  a  free 
use  of  anything  under  heaven  which  helps  life  to  health. 

Make  all  the  above  suggestions  a  perpetual  regime  of 
your  life. 

«  ATTENTION  1     I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL  1 1 " 


THY  SELF. 


7  asked  of  These  revealment  of  my  need: 

The  Seas,  the  Hills,  the  Starry  Vault,  and  Life. 

The  first  cried,  "Action  I    Thou  art  spirit  f reeds ' ' 
The  second,  *  Poise!    Defeat  is  bred  of  strifes'" 

The  third  Galactic,  "Power  in  the  Deed!" 

To  war  I  went  with  sounding  drum  and  fife— 
To  faith  I  turned,  with  moods  receptive  rife  — 
At  last  stood  awed  where  human  empires  breed. 

But  ne'er  the  thing  I  urged  these  Masters  taught. 

How  act?    How  stand f    What  power — and  how  gaint 
Seas,  Hills  and  Stars—  War,  Faith  and  World  in  vain  ! 

Then  up  spoke  Life:    "Oh,  simple  soul  destraught! 
"Poise,  Action,  Powers  for  thy  rule  complain  : 
"Thou  art  the  King,  thyself  the  king's  domain'" 

—  THE  AUTHOR. 


PART  III.  — MENTAL  REGIME. 


WHAT  SEEST  THOU? 


Tht  gracious  light,  in  semi-sphere 
Created  by  the  living  soul, 
Encompasses  the  -vision's  whole 

Of  worlds  afar  and  atoms  near. 

The  vault  of  heaven,  gemmed  and  deep, 
And  earth  and  sea  overwhelmed  in  light^ 
Full  complements  of  thought  invite 

That  soul  may  all  its  empire  keep. 

And  so  the  world  within  the  flesh 
The  larger  gains,  and  grows  apace 
To  Truth's  ideal  and  Beauty  'j  grace 

With  understanding  ever  fresh. 

Yet  must  the  Wider  Life  emerge 
Within  the  lesser,  welling  up, 
If  living  spirifs  wine-filled  cup 

Reflect  the  Drama's  drift  and  urge. 

What  seest  thouf     Thy  self  alone: 
Thou  art  the  world  and  all  its  parts. 
And  this  is  being's  Art  of  Arts : 

To  know  the  Vaster  Life  thine  own. 


— THB  AUTHOR 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EXERCISES  IN  ATTENTION. 

IT  IS  subject  to  the  superior  authority  of  the 
Ego.  I  yield  it  or  I  withhold  it  as  I  please  ; 
I  direct  it  in  turn  to  several  points ;  I  con- 
centrate it  upon  each  point  as  long  as  my  Will  can  stand 
the  effort." —  Dictionaire  Philosophiquc. 

THEORY  OF  CHAPTER. 

Attention,  become  habituated,  involves  constant  and 
strong  action  of  Will ; 

The  idea  of  Will-power,  always  present  in  the  effort  to 
habituate  attention,  will  come  to  possess  and  dominate  the 
mind  ; 

Such  domination,  by  a  psychic  law,  develops  the  func- 
tion which  it  concerns. 


The  preceding  chapters  have  had  in  view  the  develop- 
ment of  Will  by  means  of  physical  exercises.  If  the  sug- 
gestions hitherto  given  have  been  followed,  self-culture 
has  resulted  with  marked  growth  in  this  direction.  While 
our  work  has  been  physical,  the  mind  has  nevertheless 
been  directly  involved,  for  always  the  Will  has  thrust  it- 
self forward,  both  as  ruler  and  as  object.  We  are  now  to 
enter  more  particularly  the  mental  field,  with  the  same 
end  in  view. 


196  Exercises  in  Attention. 

PRELIMINARY. 

The  value  to  the  Will  of  perseverance  in  this  work 
would  seem  to  be  evident.  A  determined  effort  to  develop 
the  volitional  power  must  certainly  result  in  its  growth. 
But  mental  activity  having  this  end  in  view  will  generate 
unconscious  processes  making  for  the  same  goal.  Doctor 
Holmes  has  said  :  "  I  was  told,  within  a  week,  of  a  busi- 
ness man  in  Boston,  who,  having  an  important  question 
under  consideration,  had  given  it  up  for  the  time  as  too 
much  for  him.  But  he  was  conscious  of  an  action  going 
on  in  his  brain  which  was  so  unusual  and  painful  as  to 
excite  his  apprehensions  that  he  was  threatened  with 
palsy,  or  something  of  that  sort.  After  some  hours  of 
this  uneasiness,  his  perplexity  was  all  at  once  cleared  up 
by  the  natural  solution  of  his  doubt  coming  to  him  — 
worked  out,  as  he  believed,  in  that  obscure  and  troubled 
interval." 

"We  are  constantly  finding  results  of  unperceived 
mental  processes  in  our  consciousness.  Here  is  a  strik- 
ing instance,  which  I  borrow  from  a  recent  number  of  an 
English  journal.  It  relates  to  what  is  considered  the 
most  interesting  period  of  incubation  in  Sir  William 
Rowan  Hamilton's  discovery  of  quaternions.  The  time 
was  the  i5th  of  October,  1843.  On  that  day,  he  says  in 
a  letter  to  a  friend,  he  was  walking  from  his  observatory 
to  Dublin  with  Lady  Hamilton,  when,  on  reaching 
Brougham  Bridge,  he  '  felt  the  galvanic  circle  of  thought 
close ;'  and  the  sparks  that  fell  from  it  were  the  funda- 
mental relations  between  i,j,  k,  just  as  he  used  them  ever 
afterwards." 

If,  then,  the  brain  may  unconsciously  work  out 
specific  results  of  thought  under  the  influence  of  a  desired 
end,  the  idea  of  a  mighty  Will,  kept  constantly  before 
the  mind  and  directing  given  and  continuous  mental 


A  Focused  Soul  fears  Nothing.         197 

exercises,  will  undoubtedly  generate  a  process  always 
tending  to  build  up  the  volitional  powers.  And  as  the 
Will  is  located  throughout  the  entire  mind,  the  latter 
must  be  wholly  brought  into  action  for  the  Will's  training 
and  development. 

The  secret  of  our  future  labor  will  be  found  in  that 
which  has  been  absolutely  indispensable  all  along,  to  wit : 
ATTENTION.  But  attention  is  hereafter  to  be  confined 
to  the  intellect.  Its  direction  is  not  so  much  outward  as 
inward  ;  its  subject  is  not  so  truly  the  senses  as  the  mind 
and  its  extension,  so  to  speak,  by  means  of  the  senses. 

"The  essential  achievement  of  the  Will"  says  Prof. 
William  James,  "  when  it  is  most  voluntary,  is  to  attend  to 
a  difficult  object  and  hold  it  fast  before  the  mind"  '  'Effort 
of  attention  is  the  essential  phenomenon  of  Will" 

But  what  do  we  mean  by  the  word  Attention  ?  Pro- 
fessor James  Sully  says  :  "  Attention  may  be  roughly 
defined  as  the  active  self-direction  (this  involves  Will)  of 
the  mind  to  any  object  which  presents  itself  to  it  at  the 
moment."  He  refers  to  the  make-up  of  the  word:  ad 
tenderc,  to  stretch  towards.  "  It  is  somewhat  the  same  as 
the  mind's  '  consciousness '  of  what  is  present  to  it.  The 
field  of  consciousness,  however,  is  wider  than  that  of  at- 
tention. Consciousness  admits  of  many  degrees  of  dis- 
tinctness. I  may  be  very  vaguely  or  indistinctly  con- 
scious of  some  bodily  sensation,  of  some  haunting  recollec- 
tion, and  so  on.  To  attend  is  to  intensify  consciousness  by 
concentrating  or  narrowing  it  on  some  definite  or  restricted 
area.  It  is  to  force  the  mind  or  consciousness  in  a 
particular  direction  so  as  to  make  the  objects  as  distinct 
as  possible." 

Now,  Dr.  Scripture  remarks  on  the  same  subject: 
"  The  innumerable  psychologies  attempt  to  define  it,  but 
when  they  have  defined  it,  you  are  sure  to  know  just  as 


198  Exercises  in  Attention. 

much  about  it  as  before."  Then,  to  show  the  difference 
between  the  "  focus  "  (of  the  mind)  and  the  "  field  "  of 
the  present  experience  (consciousness),  he  writes  :  "  Ask 
your  friend,  the  amateur  photographer,  to  bring  around 
his  camera.  He  sets  it  up  and  lets  you  look  at  the  pic- 
ture on  the  ground  glass.  The  glass  is  adjusted  so  that 
the  picture  of  a  person  in  the  middle  of  the  room  is 
sharply  seen ;  all  the  other  objects  are  somewhat  blurred, 
depending  on  their  distance  from  him.  Change  the 
position  of  the  glass  a  trifle.  The  person  becomes  blurred 
and  some  other  object  becomes  sharp.  Thus,  for  each 
position  of  the  glass  there  is  an  object,  or  a  group  of 
objects,  distinctly  seen  while  all  other  objects  are  blurred. 
To  make  one  of  the  blurred  objects  distinct,  the  position 
of  the  glass  jnust  be  changed,  and  the  formerly  distinct 
object  becomes  blurred. 

"  In  like  manner,  we  fully  attend  to  one  object  or 
group  of  objects  at  a  time;  all  others  are  only  dimly 
noticed.  As  we  turn  our  attention  from  one  object  to 
another  what  was  formerly  distinct  becomes  dim. 

"  The  illustration  with  the  camera  is  not  quite  com- 
plete. You  can  keep  the  objects  quiet  in  the  room,  but 
you  cannot  keep  your  thoughts  still.  The  mental  con- 
dition would  be  more  nearly  expressed  by  pointing  the 
camera  down  a  busy  street.  You  focus  first  on  one  thing, 
then  on  another.  The  things  in  focus  pass  out  of  it, 
others  come  in.  Only  by  special  effort  can  you  keep  a 
moving  person  or  wagon  in  focus  for  more  than  a  mo- 
ment." To  "attend,"  therefore,  is  to  keep  the  mind 
"  focused  "  on  the  one  thing,  whether  it  lies  among  sub- 
jects of  thought  which  correspond  to  the  furniture  of  a 
room  or  to  moving  objects  seen  in  a  busy  street. 

Attention  is  the  "  effort  of  the  mind  to  detain  the 
idea  or  perception,  and  to  exclude  the  other  objects  that 


A  Focused  Soul  fears  Nothing.         199 

solicit  its  notice."  This  requires  a  strong  action  of  the 
Will.  Resolute  exercise  of  attention,  therefore,  must 
strengthen  the  Will's  power. 

RiGIMES. 

Exercise  No,  i.  Sit  quietly  at  ease  in  a  room  where 
you  will  not  be  disturbed.  By  a  supreme  effort  of  Will, 
drive  every  thought  and  fancy  out  of  mind.  Hold  the 
mind  blank  as  long  as  possible.  How  long  can  you  sus- 
tain this  effort  successfully  ?  Be  not  discouraged.  Per- 
sistence will  win.  After  a  genuine  attempt,  rest  a  few 
moments.  Then  try  again.  Practise  the  exercise  daily 
for  ten  days,  with  rest  of  two  days,  making  at  least  six 
attempts  each  day.  Keep  a  record  of  results,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  period  note  improvement.  The  Will  must  be 
taught  to  be  supreme. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Sit  quietly  as  before.  When  the 
mind  is  a  blank,  hold  it  so  for  a  few  seconds.  Then  in- 
stantly begin  to  think  of  some  one  thing,  and  now  exclude 
every  other  thought.  Keep  the  attention  rigidly  upon 
this  particular  subject  as  long  as  possible.  The  direction 
does  not  mean  that  you  are  to  follow  a  train  of  ideas  upon 
the  subject,  but  that  you  are  to  fasten  the  mind  keenly 
upon  the  one  thing  or  idea  and  retain  it  in  the  field  of 
attention,  just  as  you  may  look  at  some  object,  focusing 
sight  and  observation  there,  and  there  alone.  Rest. 
Repeat  six  times.  Make  record.  Continue  every  day  for 
ten  days,  with  rest.  Then  note  improvement  in  power. 

Exercise  No.  3.  Permit  the  mind  to  wander  whither 
it  will  one  minute.  Now  write  out  all  that  you  recall  of 
these  wandering  thoughts.  Then  proceed  to  find  and  in- 
dicate in  writing  the  connections  that  bind  them  into  a 
chain.  You  will  thus  discover  that  mental  activities  may 


2OO  Exercises  in  Attention. 

become  aimless,  but  that  the  mind's  roaming  is  not  with- 
out explanation.  Resolve  to  keep  your  thoughts  well  in 
hand.  Repeat  these  exercises  six  times,  and  continue  for 
ten  days,  with  rest.  On  the  tenth  day  compare  records 
and  note  improvement  in  attention.  Try,  now,  to  dis- 
cover any  general  laws  that  have  governed  the  mind's 
uncontrolled  action. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Sit  at  ease  for  one  minute  while 
thinking  of  the  mind  as  engaged  in  reasoning.  Do  not 
entertain  fancies.  Keep  out  wandering  thoughts  and 
sensations.  Do  not  reason  ;  think  of  the  reasoning  power 
of  the  mind.  Now  deliberately  pursue  some  definite  line 
of  reasoning  for,  say,  five  minutes.  Write  results,  from 
memory.  Rest.  Repeat  six  times.  Continue  for  ten 
days,  with  rest.  On  the  tenth  day  compare  records  and 
note  improvement  in  concentration. 

Repeat  these  exercises  with  the  imagination,  thinking 
a  picture  or  plot  of  acting. 

Repeat  with  the  power  of  Will,  imagined  as  to  vari- 
ous acts. 

Exercise  No.  5.  Summons  a  resolute  state  of  mind. 
Now  select  some  desired  goal  in  life  which  you  believe  to 
be  possible,  and  will,  with  all  your  might,  that  this  shall 
be.  Do  not  think  of  means.  Fiercely  resolve  to  over- 
come all  difficulties.  Do  not  dwell  upon  the  enjoyment 
of  success,  for  that  will  distract  the  mind.  Attend  wholly 
to  the  Mood  of  willing.  Repeat  six  times.  Continue  at 
least  ten  days,  with  rest. 

Bed  the  idea  of  the  goal  deeply  in  mind.  Carry  it 
with  you  into  life's  activities.  Make  the  resolution  a  per- 
manent matter,  not  only  of  Will,  but  of  feeling  as  well. 

Exercise  No.  6.  Sit  at  ease  a  few  seconds.  Now 
think  of  several  acts,  as,  to  walk  across  the  room,  or  to 


A  Focused  Soul  Fears  Nothing.         201 

take  a  book  from  a  shelf,  or  to  sit  still.  Continue  about 
five  minutes.  Various  impulses  will  arise  to  do  one  thing 
or  another.  Resist  them  all  a  little  time.  Now  decide, 
quickly  and  resolutely,  what  you  will  do.  Do  not  act 
lazily ;  do  not  decide  impulsively.  Force  a  real  decision. 
Then  act.  Do  exactly  that  one  thing.  Rest.  Repeat  six 
times,  with  different  actions.  During  each  act,  put  the 
Will  into  every  part  thereof.  Keep  to  the  fore  a  strong 
personal  Mood.  Continue  for  ten  days,  with  rest.  At 
the  end  of  the  period,  note  improvement  in  attention  and 
power  of  Will. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Set  apart  by  themselves  several 
small  objects ;  books,  coins,  paper-knives,  etc.  Collect  a 
miscellaneous  lot.  Now,  after  looking  these  articles  over, 
decide  to  arrange  them  in  some  particular  way  according 
to  a  determined  order  of  relations.  The  order  may  be 
that  of  similarity,  or  difference,  and  the  like.  Example : 
the  objects  are  of  many  colors  ;  arrange  in  a  complement- 
ary way.  Now  note  the  general  effect.  It  is  probably 
bad.  Why  is  this  ?  How  can  the  arrangement  be  im- 
proved ?  Has  color  anything  to  do  with  the  arrangement 
of  the  furniture  of  your  room  ?  Can  it  be  set  into  better 
order  in  this  respect  ?  Try  that.  Repeat  with  order 
according  to  other  resemblances.  Repeat  with  order 
according  to  differences. 

Always  keep  the  Mood  of  Will  in  the  foreground 
during  these  exercises. 

Arrange  with  a  different  order  six  times  in  each  exer- 
cise. Continue  for  ten  days,  with  rest.  At  the  end  of 
the  period,  observe  improvement  in  attention,  together 
with  facility  in  making  the  arrangements. 

Exercise  No.  8,  Select  several  like  objects,  say, 
books  or  articles  of  furniture.  Now  arrange  the  books 


2O2  Exercises  in  Attention. 

according  to  titles.  Is  this  the  best  possible  arrangement  ? 
Try  to  improve  it.  Arrange  the  furniture  for  finest  effect 
in  the  room,  having  color,  shape,  style,  etc.,  in  mind. 
Repeat  with  other  similar  articles.  With  each  set  of 
objects  make  six  different  arrangements.  Continue  for 
ten  days,  with  rest.  Then  note  improvement  as  before. 

Exercise  No.  g.  Select  several  dissimilar  objects. 
Lay  them  out  conveniently  before  you.  Take  one  of  them 
in  hand.  What  does  it  suggest  ?  Connect  that  suggestion 
immediately,  that  is,  without  any  intermediate  idea,  with 
another  article.  What  does  this  suggest  ?  Connect  the 
suggestion  with  a  third  article.  Continue  in  this  way 
until  all  the  objects  have  been  connected.  Place  the 
articles,  one  after  another,  according  to  connecting  sug- 
gestions, before  you.  Do  everything  slowly,  deliberately 
and  with  a  strong  sense  of  willing.  Rest  after  the  first 
complete  experiment  a  few  seconds.  Then  repeat  with 
different  articles  six  times.  Continue  for  ten  days,  with 
rest,  and  then  note  improvement  in  attention  and  facility 
of  connections  made. 

Here  is  an  example :  Book  —  (suggesting)  —  Per- 
son —  (suggesting)  —  Note  —  (suggesting)  —  Writer  — 
(suggesting)  —  Pen  —  (suggesting)  —  Mightier  —  (sug- 
gesting) —  Sword  —  (suggesting)  — Sharp  —  (suggesting) 
—  Knife  —  (suggesting)  —  Point  —  (suggesting)  — Pin  — 
(suggesting)  —  Bright  —  (suggesting)  —  Gold  Watch. 

The  above  exercises  are  somewhat  difficult,  and  their 
practice  will  require  patience  and  time.  But  the  value  of 
such  work  will  appear  when  we  remember  "  that  the  act 
of  voluntary  attention  involves  a  conscious  effort  of  the 
soul."  It  is  the  "conscious  effort "  that  this  book  seeks 
to  develop.  And  for  two  reasons :  first,  that  the  reader 
may  acquire  the  habit  of  carrying  with  him  everywhere 
the  Will-pervaded  Mood  of  the  strong  personality ;  sec- 


A  Focused  Soul  Fears  Nothing.         203 

ondly,  that  adequate  power  of  attending  to  motives  may 
become  a  permanent  factor  of  his  life. 

Read,  therefore,  the  following  with  greatest  care  : 

"  Variations  in  the  relative  strength  of  motives  mainly 
arise  from  the  degree  of  attention  that  we  give  to  them  re- 
spectively" People  often  act  wrongly  or  unwisely  because 
they  fail  here.  "  Thus,  for  example,  a  hungry  man,  seeing 
bread  in  a  baker's  window,  is  tempted  to  break  the  glass  and 
steal  a  loaf  of  bread.  The  motive  here  is  the  prospect  of  sat- 
isfying his  hunger.  But  the  man  is  not  a  mere  machine, 
impelled  by  a  single  force.  He  knows  that  if  he  is  caught, 
he  will  be  punished  as  a  thief.  He  knows,  too,  that  this  is  a 
wrong  act  which  he  is  considering,  and  that  his  conscience 
will  reprove  him.  Now  he  can  fix  his  attention  upon  one  of 
these  restraining  motives.  The  impulse  to  break  the  glass  thus 
loses  its  power.  The  element  of  time  is  an  important  factor, 
for  the  longer  he  delays  and  deliberates,  the  more  numerous 
will  be  the  restraining  motives  which  arise  in  his  consciousness. " 

But  avoidance  of  crime  is  a  very  small  part  of  most 
people's  lives.  For  the  majority,  "  How  to  get  on  in  all 
good  ways,"  is  a  comprehensive,  and  the  ruling,  ques- 
tion. The  value  of  attention  obtains  here  in  ways  similar 
to  those  above  suggested.  A  strong  Will  is  demanded. 
Ability  to  hold  the  mind  to  one  thing  is  imperative. 
Power  of  concentrating  thought  upon  motives,  and  the 
best  motives,  is  called  for  every  day  of  our  existence. 
The  great  symbol  of  all  our  exercises,  therefore,  is  Atten- 
tion !  ATTENTION  1 

But  the  words  which  we  have  so  often  met  in  the 
preceding  pages  indicate  the  ultimate  and  priceless  goal : 

"I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL!  THE  MOOD  OF 
EMPHATIC  PERSONALITY  IS  MINE  I" 


WHO  READS? 


Reads  "Witless  One"? 
Behold  him  run 

The  race  of  prose  or  rhyme/ 
Reading  's  an  art 
Of  head  and  heart  — 

Never  a  thief  of  time. 

Love's  "Thought"  the  pause 
On  trenchant  clause; 

'Tis  matter  hint  engages.    • 
The  first  has  speed 
And  verbal  greed, 

Devouring  countless  pages. 

In  Browning's  book 
Or  Saturn's  nook 

Hides  God— the  Question  Mark. 
Goes  soul  all  in  / 
All,  soul  must  win; 

Goes  less  ?    The  thing  is  dark. 

'Tis  Truth's  old  fashion 
To  answer  Passion  ; 

''Tis  soul's,  to  grow  by  giving. 
Now  if  you  read 
As  martyrs  bleed, 

You  know  —  then  —  glorious  living. 


—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ATTENTION  IN  READING. 

DISTINGUISHED  lawyer  of  an  Eastern  city 
relates  that  while  engaged  in  an  argument 
upon  which  vast  issues  depended  he  suddenly 
realized  that  he  had  forgotten  to  guard  a  most  important 
point.  In  that  hour  of  excitement  his  faculties  became 
greatly  stimulated.  Decisions,  authorities  and  precedents 
long  since  forgotten  began  to  return  to  his  mind.  Dimly 
outlined  at  first,  they  slowly  grew  plain,  until  at  length  he 
read  them  with  perfect  distinctness.  Mr.  Beecher  had  a 
similar  experience  when  he  fronted  the  mob  in  Liverpool. 
He  said  that  all  events,  arguments  and  appeals  that  he 
had  ever  heard  or  read  or  written  passed  before  his  mind 
as  oratorical  weapons,  and  standing  there  he  had  but  to 
reach  forth  his  hand  and  seize  the  weapons  as  they  went 
smoking  by." — Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 

THEORY  OF  CHAPTER. 

Concentrated  attention  the  price  of  understanding  ; 
Exhaustive  understanding  the  only  true  reading ; 
Review  and  discussion  the  storing  methods  of  memory  ; 
These  exercises,  deliberately  and  persistently  followed, 
sure  developers  of  the  scholar's  Will. 

PRELIMINARY. 

There  is  at  once  too  much  reading  and  too  little. 
The  great  modern  dailies  are  harming  the  minds  of  metro- 


206  Attention  in  Reading. 

politan  peoples.  Multitudes  read  from  sheer  mental  lazi- 
ness. Journalism  must  therefore  be  sensational  in  an 
evil  manner.  Even  magazine  literature  scours  worlds  for 
fresh  chaff  illustrated  by  "  lightning  artists."  These  in- 
fluences, and  the  infinite  flood  of  matter,  make  genuine 
reading  among  many  impossible.  For  reading,  in  its  real 
sense,  is  a  deliberate  process  by  which  written  thought  is 
transferred  to  the  mind,  and  there  stored  and  assimilated. 
All  this  involves  power  of  Will.  But  power  of  Will  is  a. 
rare  possession  in  these  days  of  multitudinous  distractions. 
Hence  it  is  that  true  reading  is  almost  a  lost  art.  How 
shall  this  lost  art  be  regained  ?  By  development  of  that 
reason-forged  but  magic  gift,  Attention. 

11  Read  not  to  contradict  nor  to  believe,  but  to  weigh 
and  consider,"  said  the  wise  and  "  woodeny "  Bacon. 
"To  weigh  and  consider"  —  that  is  the  open  sesame  of 
right  reading.  In  order  to  acquire  these  abilities  the 
following  directions  will  serve : 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  i.  Procure  any  well-written  book  on 
any  subject  worth  knowing.  Read  the  title  with  great 
care.  State  in  your  own  language  exactly  what  you  sup- 
pose the  title  to  mean.  Look  up  the  definitions  of  all 
words.  Examples  :  "  History  of  the  United  States." 
What  is  history  ?  What  is  a  written  history  ?  What  is  the 
difference  between  the  two  kinds  of  "  history  "  ?  What  is 
the  main  idea  in  "  United  States  "  ?  How  did  this  name 
originate  ? 

Now  read  the  author's  name.  Before  proceeding 
further,  memorize  an  outline  of  his  life.  Ascertain  his 
place  in  letters.  What  value  are  you  to  put  upon  his  work  ? 

This  done,  read  with  some  care  the  table  of  contents. 
You  ought  now  to  have  the  general  drift  of  the  book,  to- 


The    Will  and  the  Eye  Illumine.         207 

gather  with  its  purpose.  If  these  do  not  appear,  take 
another  book  and  repeat  the  above  exercises.  Continue 
this  exercise  during  life. 

Exercise  No.  2,  Presuming  that,  with  such  exam- 
ination, you  wish  to  go  on,  read  the  preface  very  carefully. 
Having  finished  it,  ask  yourself  what  the  author  has  here 
said.  Make  sure  that  you  know.  Then  ask,  Why  has  he 
said  this  in  a  preface  ?  Did  he  need  a  preface  ?  Does  this 
preface  really  pre-face,  so  far  as  you  can  now  judge? 
Make  this  a  permanent  regime  in  reading. 

Exercise  No.  3.  If  the  book  has  an  introduction, 
read  that  with  the  greatest  attention.  An  author  is  some- 
times misunderstood  in  many  pages  because  his  intro- 
duction has  not  been  read.  At  the  end  of  its  reading, 
outline  from  memory  what  it  has  brought  before  you. 
Now  ask,  again,  Why  should  he  have  written  that  intro- 
duction, or  what  he  has  written  here  as  an  introduction  ? 
Very  likely,  you  are  at  this  time  as  ready  to  lay  the  book 
aside  as  you  may  become  later.  Make  this  exercise  a 
permanent  part  of  serious  reading. 

Exercise  No.  4.  To  make  sure  about  this,  read  at- 
tentively the  first  twenty-five  pages  of  the  book.  In  these 
pages  do  you  see  anything  new,  anything  interesting,  any- 
thing of  value  to  you  ?  If  nothing  new,,  interesting  or 
valuable  gets  to  the  fore  in  twenty-five  pages,  you  are 
probably  ready  to  sell  that  book  at  a  large  discount. 
The  rule,  however,  is  not  infallible.  Reading  is  frequently 
like  gold-mining :  the  richest  veins  are  not  always  readily 
discovered.  Some  of  George  Eliot's  works  require  a  yoke 
of  oxen,  so  to  speak,  to  drag  the  mind  into  them ;  but 
once  in,  it  cannot  escape  her  spell.  Many  books  which 
are  perennially  acknowledged  cannot  be  rigidly  subjected 
to  these  tests.  Something,  too,  depends  upon  the  reader's 


208  Attention  in  Reading. 

mind.  If  the  mind  "  adores  "  "  awfully  sweet "  dresses 
and  "  perfectly  elegant "  parties,  its  judgments  may  be 
taken  with  a  "lot"  of  "just  the  tiniest"  allowance. 
These  directions  are  not  dealing  with  the  "  punk  "  order 
of  intellect,  nor  the  "  green  corn  "  era  of  criticism.  They 
have  in  view  the  ordinary  run  of  minds  and  the  above- 
average  grade  of  books.  If  twenty-five  pages  of  a  book 
do  not  get  hold  of  a  good  mind,  the  author  has  done 
phenomenally  fine  work,  or  else  he  is  n't  worth  reading. 
Make  this  exercise  permanent. 

Exercise  No.  f.  Supposing,  now,  that  you  resolve  to 
go  on  with  the  volume  in  hand,  it  will  be  necessary,  for 
our  present  purpose,  to  return  to  the  first  sentence.  Read 
that  sentence  with  exceeding  care.  What  is  its  subject  ?  — 
its  predicate  ?  —  its  object  ?  What  is  the  meaning  of  each 
word  ?  If  an  abstract-thought,  put  this  thought  into  your 
own  language.  Think  it,  resolutely  and  carefully  and 
clearly.  If  it  is  an  object-thought,  stop  now,  and,  closing 
the  eyes,  call  up  a  mental  picture  of  the  object.  If  the 
word  expresses  action,  ask  what  kind  of  action.  Think 
the  act  so  as  to  get  a  mental  picture  of  it,  if  possible.  If 
the  sentence  is  involved,  take  as  much  of  it  as  expresses 
a  complete  thought  exhausted  by  ideas  of  "  being,"  or 
''condition,"  or  "action."  Treat  this  as  your  first  sen- 
tence according  to  the  above  directions.  Then  proceed 
with  the  next  complete  thought  of  the  sentence,  and  so  on 
until  you  have  in  this  manner  read  the  sentence  as  a 
whole.  Then  read  the  sentence  again,  put  the  thoughts 
together,  and  get  into  the  mind  a  complete  view  of  the 
entire  statement.  Always  translate  the  author's  thoughts 
into  your  own  language.  Do  not  memorize,  but  THINK. 

Proceed  in  this  way  through  the  first  paragraph. 
Then  state  in  your  own  manner  the  connected  chain  of 
thought  thus  far  presented. 


The    Will  and  the  Eye  Illumine.         209 

The  next  day,  write,  without  reading  again,  the  sub- 
stance of  this  first  paragraph. 

Continue  such  attentive  and  analytic  reading  until 
you  have  mastered  the  first  chapter.  Now  put  aside  all 
writings  hitherto  made,  and  from  memory  write  a  connect- 
ed statement  of  the  substance  of  that  chapter. 

Proceed  with  the  succeeding  sentences,  paragraphs 
and  chapters.  If  these  directions  are  pursued,  few  books 
will  require  a  second  reading.  And  one  good  book  well 
read  is  better  than  a  dozen  read  as  books  ordinarily  are 
read. 

Resolve  permanently  upon  this  kind  of  reading. 

Such  exercises  will  prove  of  immense  value,  because 
they  are  based  on  certain  laws  of  mind.  The  eye  acquires 
great  facility  in  reading,  and  the  reader  is  apt  to  content 
himself  with  whole  but  vague  pictures  or  groups  of  ideas 
presented.  In  order  that  the  thought  contained  in  the 
printed  page  may  be  really  obtained,  it  is  necessary  to 
break  up  these  wholes  and  to  put  their  parts  into  clear 
light.  This  requires  attention  to  details,  which  in  turn 
demands  a  distinct  understanding  of  the  meaning  of  words. 
We  may  catch  the  general  thought  of  a  sentence  without 
knowing  clearly  what  some  of  its  words  mean,  and  thus 
really  miss,  perhaps,  the  best  part  of  our  reading. 

"  Suppose  I  look  out  of  my  window,"  says  Hill  in 
"  Elements  of  Psychology,"  "  and  see  a  black  horse  run- 
ning swiftly.  The  whole  picture,  as  presented  by  the 
sense  of  vision,  constitutes  one  single  image.  It  remains 
one  and  single  until  I  have  occasion  to  describe  it  in 
words.  The  moment  I  attempt  to  do  so,  an  analytic  pro- 
cess or  process  of  resolution  into  parts  is  necessary.  I 
must  name  the  animal  '  horse,'  his  color  '  black,'  his  act 
'  running,'  his  speed  '  swiftly,'  and  I  must  indicate  whether 
it  is  a  definite  or  an  indefinite  black  horse  that  runs,  and 


2io  Attention  in  Reading. 

so  must  use  an  article,  '  a  '  or  '  the.'  Putting  all  together, 
I  say,  1A  black  horse  is  running  swiftly?  a  sentence  in 
which  my  one  visual  image  is  broken  up  by  five  distinc- 
tions, each  expressed  in  a  separate  word.  There  is  truth 
in  the  proverb,  '  No  one  knows  a  thing  until  he  can  tell 
it.' " 

The  object  of  putting  thought  into  one's  own  words 
is  also  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  mere  study  of  words,  as 
the  above  writer  indicates,  is  of  little  value.  Hence  in 
real  reading  it  is  always  necessary  to  secure  mental 
images,  or  mental  conceptions  clear-cut  and  pronounced, 
of  "  being,"  "  condition  "  or  "  action  "  involved  in  each 
statement  read. 

Exercise  No.  6.  While  reading  any  book  worth  the 
while,  mark  striking  or  useful  passages,  and,  as  you  pro- 
ceed, make  an  index  on  the  rear  fly  leaf.  No  matter  if 
the  book  has  a  printed  index;  your  own  will  prove  better 
for  your  purpose. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Analyze  chapters,  about  as  you  go 
on,  and  mark  and  number  or  letter  the  points  made.  At 
the  close  of  reading  the  chapter,  review  these  points  and 
fix  in  memory.  This  will  facilitate  Exercise  No.  5. 

Exercise  No.  8.  While  some  friend  reads  aloud, 
practise  mental  noting  of  the  points  made  by  the  author, 
retaining  them  for  a  given  number  of  pages.  Then  state 
them  consecutively  while  the  reader  reviews  to  correct 
your  errors.  Continue  this  exercise  indefinitely. 

Exercise  No.  p.  Repeat  the  above  exercise  with  con- 
versations with  the  reader,  making  sure  that  both  thor- 
oughly understand  the  matter  in  hand.  On  the  following 
day,  review  this  work  together  from  memory.  Then  con- 
tinue as  before.  Practise  these  exercises  indefinitely. 


The    Will  and  the  Eye  Illumine.         211 

Exercise  No.  10.  If  an  author's  name  is  not  a  suf- 
ficient guaranty  for  his  statements,  or  if  his  book  is  written 
from  an  evident  point  of  view  or  with  a  possible  bias,  and 
he  is  clearly  bent  on  "  making  his  case,"  bring  to  the 
reading  of  his  work  the  interrogative  attitude  of  mind.  Do 
not  accept  him  carelessly.  Compel  him  to  "make  his 
case  "  fairly.  Verify  his  alleged  facts.  See  that  his  refer- 
erences  are  correct  and  rightly  interpreted.  Detect  flaws 
in  his  arguments.  Read  him  from  his  point  of  view  as 
modified  by  your  own.  Make  sure  that  your  point  of 
view  is  good.  Therefore,  be  open  to  his  convictions. 
Nevertheless,  antagonize  him  in  a  fair  field.  Be  not  hasty 
to  contradict,  nor  to  surrender.  To-morrow  what  you 
deny  may  be  truth,  what  you  accept  may  be  false.  Read 
resolutely  to  gather  what  he  can  contribute  to  your  stock 
of  facts,  of  realities,  of  sound  reasoning,  of  sentiment,  of 
life,  of  power. 

Beware  what  Ben  Jonson  called  a  "  humor  ": 

"A  Humour  is  the  bias  of  the  mind, 
By  which,  with  violence,  't  is  one  way  inclined ; 
It  makes  our  action  lean  on  one  side  still; 
And,  in  all  changes,  that  way  bends  the  Will." 

The  work  here  suggested  will  be  tedious  at  first,  and 
it  demands  time  and  patience.  As  it  proceeds,  however, 
it  will  become  more  and  more  easy  and  delightful.  Its 
justification  is  the  double  purpose  in  hand  in  all  these 
pages:  right  reading  and  power  of  persistent  Will.  A 
resolute  sense  of  willing  must  therefore  be  preserved  from 
first  to  last.  Learn  to  read  in  the  Mood  of  the  emphatic 
personality.  Your  Will  shall  then  dissolve  books,  and 
mastered  books  shall  culture  the  finest  Will. 


THOUGHT. 


When  the  self  works  the  miracle,  thought^ 
In  the  laboratory  of  brain, 

And  the  matter  -with  meaning  is  fraught, 
Like  the  gift  to  the  Widow  of  Nain, 
Or  the  war-cry  of  Marathon's  Plain, 

Tell  me,  who  has  the  miracle  wrought? 

And  of  what  is  it  fashioned,  this  thing 
That  upsprings  like  a  ghost  of  the  night  • 

That  evolves  like  a  Saturnine  Ring — 
This  mysterious  symbol  of  might, 
Born  as  well  to  a  god  or  a  wight, 

Tell  me,  what  is  that  sign  of  a  king  f 

In  the  faith-haunted  seasons  of  old, 
When  the  soul  was  diffusively  great, 

I  was  claimant,  exuberant,  bold, 

Of  the  power  of  thought  and  its  fate; 
And  I  dreamed  in  the  folly,  elate, 

That  myself  was  its  essence  unrolled. 

Gone  the  fancy  !     The  power  abides. 

Yet  the  mystery  grows  on  apace : 
For  the  thinker  '.$•  the  spirit  that  hides, 

And  the  thought  is  his  unrevealed  face. 

Can  a  man  outrun  self  in  the  race  ? 
Can  the  sea  compass  more  than  its  tides  f 


—  THB  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ATTENTION  IN  THINKING. 

)METHING  more  reliable  than  a  mere  impulse 
is  needed  to  make  a  strong  mind.  Back  of  all 
must  stand  a  strong  Will,  with  the  ability  and 
disposition  to  use  it.  M.  Marcel  well  says,  '  The  great 
secret  of  education  lies  in  exciting  and  directing  the  Will.' 
In  later  mental  acquirements  we  recognize  the  omnipotence 
of  Will.  Nothing  takes  its  place  until  we  discover  that 
attention  is  under  the  control  of  the  Will,  and  until,  by 
perseverance,  we  acquire  the  power  of  thus  controlling  it." 
—  Popular  Science  Monthly. 

THEORY  OF  CHAPTER. 

True  thinking  is  a  deliberative  act  of  mind  held  fast 
to  its  task  ; 

Such  impelled  action  discovers  the  best  use  of  mind,  and 
develops  and  stores  the  whole  man  ; 

The  mind  thus  improved  throws  itself  into  its  operations 
with  greater  wisdom  and  increased  energy  ; 

This  action  unfolds  the  Will. 

The  best  thinker  is  the  best  reader.  This  is  true 
even  of  "  reciters,"  so  far  as  their  work  is  concerned.  To 
recite,  one  must  interpret ;  to  interpret  one  must  think. 

Thinking,  in  its  noblest  sense,  is  largely  a  lost  art 
among  the  people.  They  indulge  in  a  vast  deal  of  mental 
jargon,  but  genuine  thought  seems  a  scarce  article.  A 


214  Attention  in    Thinking. 

single  "  straw  "  is  the  fact  that  new  matter  presented  in  the 
simplest  language  is  often  declared  to  be  "  too  deep  for  us." 
The  difficulty  is  not  depth,  but  unfamiliarity  ;  the  limits  of 
popular  thinking  are  narrow  ;  outside  these  limits,  even 
sunlight  is  opaque,  and  diamonds  are  mere  quartz  pebbles. 
People  "  think,"  as  they  say,  to  be  sure,  concerning 
homes,  business,  politics,  social  and  state  affairs,  together 
with  a  smattering  of  religion  ;  but  in  an  elevated  way,  this 
"  thinking  "  is  a  good  deal  like  the  "  thinking  "  of  animals  ; 
vague,  unconscious  as  thought,  forced,  disjointed,  spas- 
modic, haphazard.  Few  seem  to  think  out  a  great  reality, 
build  up  a  consistent  theory,  or  elaborate  a  reasonable 
system.  We  have  not  here,  altogether,  it  must  be  said, 
the  pressure  of  dirt  and  moil.  It  is  a  case  of  mental 
laziness.  One  must  work  with  muscles  in  order  to  exist ; 
but  one  need  not  labor  with  the  mind  for  assimilation  of 
food  and  development  of  brawn.  House-keepers  and 
shop-tenders  aver  a  great  amount  of  thinking,  "  real  and 
wearisome ;  "  but  we  have  here  very  largely  the  mechanics 
of  mental  routine.  The  world  is  flooded  with  "  literature  " 
every  day,  and  the  most  of  its  readers  relax  in  its  enervating 
tide.  Evidence:  few  "get  on,"  few  discover  themselves 
and  the  universe  about  them  —  infinite  globe  of  dynamic 
influences  for  the  elevation  of  the  human  soul. 

PRELIMINARY. 

Nothing  affords  greater  satisfaction  than  to  mine  into 
a  fact  or  truth  and  ramify  its  various  connections.  Here 
is  a  process  that  is  keenest  tonic,  a  result  of  which  is  bank 
of  deposit  paying  compound  interest.  The  ability  to  think 
clean  through  a  subject  puts  a  man  apart  as  one  of  the 
victors  of  life.  This  power  may  be  developed.  Whenever 
it  is  taken  in  hand,  resolutely  and  persistently,  one  of  its 
hugest  products  is  a  giant  Will. 


All   Values  Yield  to   Concentration.       215 

But  remember,  true  thinking  depends  upon,  (i) 
Attention,  (2)  Knowledge,  (3)  Memory,  (4)  Correct  Per- 
ception of  Relations. 

The  swiftness  and  value  of  the  process  will  depend 
upon  the  determined  attitude  brought  into  it  by  the  soul. 
According  to  your  Will,  so  be  it  unto  you.  In  the  last 
analysis,  faith  is  Will  shouting,  "  I  will  not  let  thee 
go!" 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  one  must  be  versed 
in  all  the  rules  of  logic  in  order  to  become  a  good  thinker. 
The  mastery  of  logic  is  vastly  helpful,  to  be  sure;  but 
after  all,  it  is  thinking  that  has  produced  logic,  rather  than 
logic  thinking.  A  persistent  effort  to  think  correctly  will 
in  time  develop  a  fair  logical  system,  though  its  possessor 
may  not  be  aware  of  the  fact. 

Be  it  remembered  that  good  thinking  may,  and  it 
may  not,  coincide  with  common  sense.  "  Common  sense 
is  the  exercise  of  the  judgment  unaided  by  art  or  system." 
Its  only  teacher  is  experience ;  but  the  lessons  of  experi- 
ence seldom  repeat  themselves  —  the  last  has  always 
some  new  element.  The  application  of  common  sense  is, 
therefore,  a  matter  of  inference,  of  reasoning.  The  best 
thinker  ought  to  possess  the  greatest  common  sense. 

Practiced  thinking  rather  than  common  sense,  governs 
the  physician,  the  lawyer,  the  sailor,  the  engineer,  the 
farmer,  the  business  man,  the  statesman  —  though  these 
must  bring  common  sense  to  bear  in  thinking.  When  so 
done  it  is  distinctly  thinking. 

The  power  to  think,  consecutively  and  deeply  and 
clearly,  is  an  avowed  and  deadly  enemy  to  mistakes  and 
blunders,  superstitions,  unscientific  theories,  irrational 
beliefs,  unbridled  enthusiasm,  crankiness,  fanaticism. 

The  lack  of  thought-power  creates  financial  panics 
and  ruins  business,  unsettles  politics  and  government, 


216  Attention  in    Thinking. 

keeps  the  masses  down,  makes  the  rich  intolerant  and 
unwise,  and  renders  religion  non-progressive. 

He  who  cannot  think  cannot  will,  in  the  highest  sense. 

He  who  cannot  will  strongly,  cannot  think  long  or 
deeply. 

All  labor  in  thought  involves  a  measuring  capacity 
for  willing. 

All  willed  thinking  develops  Will. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No,  I.  Take  now,  any  simple  and  great 
truth.  Concentrate  attention  upon  this  truth,  absolutely 
excluding  every  other  thought.  Example ;  "  Man  is  im- 
mortal." Think  of  man  as  immortal  only.  Think  of  man 
in  every  conceivable  way  as  being  immortal.  Man  is 
body;  what  is  body?  Is  body  immortal?  Is  the  body 
immortal  ?  If  not,  in  either  case,  why  not  ?  If  so,  in 
either  case,  why  ?  And  in  what  sense  ?  Man  has  mind ; 
what  is  mind  ?  Is  it  immortal  ?  If  so,  what  in  mind  is 
immortal  ?  Why  do  you  believe  as  you  do  ?  If  mind  is 
immortal,  for  what  purpose  ?  Man,  again,  has  moral  con- 
sciousness. What  is  this  ?  Is  this  immortal  ?  In  what 
sense  ?  What  in  moral  consciousness  is  immortal  ?  Why 
do  you  so  believe  ?  For  what  purpose  is  man,  as  moral 
consciousness,  immortal. 

Now  think  of  immortality.  What  is  it?  Think  of 
immortality  in  every  conceivable  way  as  connected  with 
man.  How  does  it  concern  him?  Has  it  various  sup- 
posable  or  believable  states  in  relation  to  him  ?  Where  is 
he,  as  you  suppose,  in  immortality  ?  What  is  he,  according 
to  your  idea,  to  become  in  immortality  ?  What  is  he  to 
take  with  him  at  death  ?  With  whom  is  he  to  exist  here- 
after ?  What  is  he  to  do  ?  What  relation  have  his  present 
states  to  any  believable  states  of  his  future  life  ?  How 


All    Values   Yield  to   Concentration.       217 

does  he  get  his  idea  of  immortality  ?  What  purpose  does 
the  idea  serve  in  his  life  ?  In  your  life  ?  Why  should 
man  be  immortal  ? 

When  thinking  of  man,  always  keep  in  mind  the  idea 
"  immortal,"  and  when  thinking  of  immortality,  always 
keep  in  mind  the  idea  "  man." 

The  above  is  merely  an  example.  These  exercises 
should  be  repeated  every  day,  with  a  different  sentence 
or  thought,  indefinitely.  It  will  be  well  also  to  preserve 
dated  records,  and  to  make  frequent  comparisons  in  order 
to  discover  improvement  in  analysis,  attention  and  power 
of  persistent  thought  upon  a  single  subject.  In  six  months, 
profit  and  pleasure  will  be  apparent.  You  will  surely  find, 
as  the  main  result  of  a  faithful  compliance  with  all  sugges- 
tions, a  tremendous  power  of  straightforward  Will-action. 
There  can  be  no  failure  with  resolute  practice. 

Exercise  No.  2.  Take  any  simple  matter  of  obser- 
vation or  experience.  You  are  riding,  let  us  suppose,  along 
a  country  road.  Now  look  well  at  the  landscape.  You 
pronounce  it  beautiful.  But  what  is  the  beautiful  ?  Think 
that  question  to  an  answer.  Now  bury  your  mind  in 
deepest  thought  concerning  the  landscape  before  you. 
The  landscape  —  "  What  is  a  landscape?  "  Think  that 
subject  out  carefully  and  distinctly.  Proceeding,  ask, 
"  What  is  this  landscape  ?  "  Observe  the  general  outlines 
and  salient  features.  What  is  there  about  the  larger 
details  which  makes  them  beautiful  ?  Observe  the  minor 
details.  What  is  their  beauty  ?  How  do  they  contribute 
to  the  beauty  of  the  whole  ?  How  might  this  landscape 
be  improved  in  beauty  ?  How  would  this  or  that  change 
add  to  the  effect  of  the  beautiful  ?  Have  you  discovered 
all  elements  before  you  of  a  beautiful  nature  ?  When  you 
next  ride  over  the  road,  remember  that  question.  Are 


2i8  Attention  in    Thinking. 

you  familiar  with  this  country  ?  Was  it  ever  more  beauti- 
ful than  it  is  to-day  ?  Do  other  people  declare  it  to  be 
beautiful  ?  If  not,  why  not,  in  your  opinion  ?  Ah  1  But 
are  you  certain  that  your  ideas  of  the  beautiful  are  correct  ? 
Do  you  think  that  the  elements  of  this  landscape  appeal 
in  the  same  way  to  others  who  pronounce  it  beautiful  as 
they  appeal  to  you  ?  Do  you  suppose  that  they  observe 
just  the  same  colors,  outlines,  proportions,  contrasts  and 
blendings  as  yourself?  Do  you  believe  that  the  same 
feelings,  thoughts,  moods  and  desires  are  awakened  in 
their  minds  by  this  landscape  as  in  your  own  ? 

By  such  a  process  you  may  become  absorbed  in  a 
deliberate  and  controlled  train  of  thought.  Have  a  care 
that  your  horse  doesn't  go  over  the  ditch.  If  you  have 
followed  these  directions,  you  have  had  experience  in 
perfect  concentration. 

Concentration  is  the  secret  of  great  thinking. 

This  exercise  should  be  varied  at  every  attempt,  with 
different  subjects,  as  opportunity  may  present.  It  must 
be  continued  six  months  at  least,  and  practised  in  some 
suggested  way  every  day. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Take  any  simple  sentence,  say, 
"  Success  in  life  depends  upon  nobility  of  purpose  and 
persistence  of  effort."  Write  the  sentence  out  in  full. 
Now  strip  the  statement  to  a  mere  skeleton  :  "  Success  — 
depends  —  purpose  —  effort."  Think  clearly  the  meaning 
of  each  word.  Then  imagine  the  modifying  words  placed 
just  above  these.  The  sentence  will  read : 

"  Life  —  nobility  —  persistence." 
"  Success  —  depends  —  purpose  —  effort." 

You  have  now  two  skeletons  which  may  be  filled  out 
at  your  liking,  almost,  and  yet  give  you  the  same  idea  in 
essentials.  "  The  value  of  life  consists  in  its  nobility  and 


All   Values   Yield  to   Concentration.       219 

its  persistence."  This  sentence  suggests  the  meaning  of 
true  success.  That  is  not  success  which  has  no  nobility 
or  persistence.  So,  the  lower  skeleton  may  be  filled  out 
to  read :  "  The  quality  of  success  depends  upon  the  qual 
ity  and  abiding  nature  of  its  purpose  and  its  effort."  Low 
purpose  and  effort,  low  grade  of  success.  Thus,  the 
"  value  of  life  consists  in  its  nobility  of  purpose  and  its 
persistence  of  effort." 

Continue  this  exercise  with  different  sentences  for  six 
months. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Write  the  sentence  used  in  the  pre- 
ceding exercise,  as  an  example.  "  Success  in  life  depends 
upon  nobility  of  purpose  and  persistence  of  effort."  Now 
ask  the  first  part  of  this  sentence  closing  with  "  purpose," 
a  series  of  questions  in  which  the  words  "  how,"  "  why," 
", which,"  "when,"  "where,"  "whose,"  are  employed. 
" How  does  success  depend  upon  nobility  of  purpose?" 
"  Why  does  success  in  life  depend  upon  nobility  of  pur- 
pose ?  "  "  What  success  depends  upon  nobility  of  pur- 
pose ? "  "  Where  does  success  depend  upon  nobility  of 
purpose  ?  "  And  so  on  until  all  the  words  are  used. 
Write  each  answer  in  full.  Then  substitute  "  persistence 
of  effort  "  for  "  nobility  of  purpose,"  and  bombard  the 
statement  again  with  the  same  questions.  Write  each 
answer  in  the  latter  case  in  full.  Then  ask  the  entire  sen- 
tence a  question  containing  the  word  "  whose."  Finally, 
note  carefully  all  that  you  have  written  upon  the  statement, 
arrange  in  logical  form,  and  proceed  to  write  a  simple 
essay  with  the  material  thus  gathered.  You  will  find  this 
to  be  an  excellent  way  in  which  to  bore  into  any  subject. 
Continue  six  months,  at  least. 

This  is  merely  an  example,  and  it  is  not  a  very  full 
one.     Every  word  and  proposition  of  a  sentence  or  subject 


22O  Attention  in    Thinking. 

thus  may  be  compelled  to  give  up  its  contents.  In  time, 
too,  the  mind  will  have  acquired  great  facility  and  power 
in  such  analysis,  so  that  whatever  of  value  is  read  will 
come  to  offer  its  secrets  to  you  almost  as  a  free  gift.  This 
alone  is  worth  all  labor  expended  upon  the  exercise. 

Exercise  No.  5.  The  results  of  attention  and  concen- 
tration will  very  nearly  approach  composition.  Every  one 
who  thinks  can  write,  at  least  after  a  fashion.  Writing  is 
one  of  the  best  of  aids  to  thinking.  When  you  attempt  to 
write,  you  discover,  very  likely,  that  what  you  supposed 
you  knew  has  been  apprehended  in  the  vaguest  manner. 

Take,  therefore,  any  object,  fact,  truth,  law  or  prop- 
osition. Example :  the  law  or  force  of  gravitation.  Now 
ask  as  many  questions  as  possible  concerning  this  fact. 
Bombard  it  with  "what,"  "whose,"  "why,"  "where," 
"  when,"  "  how,"  "  with  what  conditions,"  "  how  long," 
and  the  like.  Thus :  what  is  it  ?  whose  is  it  ?  where  is  it  ? 
when  is  it  ?  how  is  it  ?  etc.,  until  you  have  exhausted  your 
power  of  thought  upon  it.  Turn  it  about.  Look  at  it  from 
every  side.  Examine  it  under  all  conditions.  Find  its 
nature,  its  operation,  its  source,  its  purpose,  its  bearing 
upon  other  natural  forces.  Ravel  it  out.  Tear  it  into 
pieces.  Write  all  answers  in  full.  Then  proceed  to 
arrange  all  answers  in  groups  after  some  logical  order. 
Now  read  the  material  thus  arranged,  and  you  will  discover 
new  thought  springing  up,  which  will  necessitate  a  re- 
arrangement. Write  this  in  full.  Then  fill  out  your 
synopsis  in  the  best  manner  possible.  Continue  this  exer- 
cise frequently  for  six  months. 

Meanwhile,  study  the  cleanest  and  clearest  writers  for 
details  of  expression  and  correctness  of  statement  and  form. 
Review  your  work  occasionally,  and  note  improvement, 
both  in  composition  and  ability  to  get  into  a  subject. 


All   Values   Tield  to   Concentration.      221 

Keep  the  ideal  of  straightforward  simplicity  always  in 
mind.  Declare  war  upon  superlatives,  and  reduce  your 
adjectives  two-thirds.  In  all  cases  use  the  fewest  words 
consistent  with  clean  statements  and  full  expression. 

Exercise  No.  6.  Proceed  as  in  former  exercise  to 
completion  of  synopsis.  Now  think  this  out,  fully  and 
clearly,  as  written.  Memorize  the  thoughts,  but  never  the 
words,  section  by  section,  taking  several  days  if  necessary, 
until  the  entire  subject  lies  in  your  mind  ready  to  be 
spoken  or  written  in  full.  In  doing  this,  you  must  think 
in  words.  Let  the  purpose  in  mind  be  to  speak  the 
thoughts  as  if  to  an  audience.  When  you  are  master  of 
the  subject,  speak  all  your  thoughts  in  order  to  an  imagi- 
nary gathering  of  people.  Have  the  audience  before  you. 
Be  in  earnest.  Get  excited.  Over  the  law  of  gravity  ? 
Certainly.  Over  anything  under  the  heavens  I  Make 
gestures.  Fear  nothing.  Never  mind  mistakes.  Be 
keenly  alive  to  this  piece  of  work.  Forget  every  other 
reality  in  the  world.  You  believe  certain  things  in  con- 
nection with  the  law ;  deliver  your  soul  on  that  matter  as 
if  to  an  audience  of  people  who  never  have  heard  of  it  or 
do  not  think  as  you  do. 

This  exercise  should  be  continued  for  many  months. 
A  few  moments  devoted  to  it  each  day  will  prove  of  incal- 
culable value.  Almost  any  real  subject  will  answer  for  a 
topic.  Business,  Politics,  Farming,  Magazines.  After 
some  experience,  it  will  be  well  to  avoid  general  topics  and 
to  select  those  of  a  narrower  range,  as,  The  Tides,  The 
Party,  The  Raising  of  Celery,  The  Liquefaction  of  Air,  etc. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Study  unceasingly  to  detect  errors 
in  your  own  thinking.  Are  your  main  propositions  cor- 
rect ?  Do  you  employ  right  words  in  stating  them  ?  Are 
the  conclusions  really  deducible  from  your  propositions  ? 


222  Attention  in    Thinking. 

Why  do  you  believe  certain  things  ?  Are  they  based  on 
actual  facts  ?  Are  the  facts  sufficiently  numerous  to  form 
a  basis  for  belief?  Are  you  biased  in  examination  of 
facts?  Do  you  think  as  you  do  because  of  desire,  or 
ignorance,  or  prejudice  ?  Make  sure  of  your  facts  I  Make 
sure  that  the  facts  prove  one  thing,  and  none  other  1 

Exercise  No.  8.  Follow  the  above  suggestions  as  to 
the  thinking  of  other  people.  They  are  swearing  by  a 
host  of  things  which  are  not  necessarily  so.  Do  not  be- 
come a  bore,  nor  a  judge.  But  make  sure  that  arguments 
actually  prove  matters  as  asserted. 

This  chapter  may  well  close  with  a  quotation,  taken 
from  the  author's  prospective  work,  "The  Culture  of  Cour- 
age" concerning  mental  health. 

"  When  the  mental  attitude  concerns  truth,  the  mind 
is  sanely  intelligent,  and,  in  the  long  run,  will  exhibit 
reasonableness. 

"Any  illustration  of  the  attitude  will  be  more  or  less 
incomplete,  because  the  process  unfolded  uncovers  so  much 
of  life.  It  should,  therefore,  be  remembered  that  the  fol- 
lowing are  merely  specimen  leaves  from  the  vast  forest  of 
experience. 

"Illustration  No.  I.  A  man  sees  2  ghost  in  the  high- 
way. Our  invitation  requires  that  he  see  ihe  fact  as  it  is. 
It  is  some  fact ;  what  is  that  fact  ?  It  is  a  tall  stump  with 
two  or  three  naked  branches,  various  lights  and  shadows 
moving  upon  them.  The  tzct-thing  has  now  become  a  fact- 
group.  It  is  an  appearance  —  a  fact  suggesting  a  supposed 
truth.  What  was  the  real  truth  ?  The  ghostly  body  was  a 
stump,  the  arms  were  branches,  the  movements  were  due  to 
flickering  shadows  and  varying  degrees  of  light.  The  sup- 
posed truth  was  a  ghost.  The  real  truth  was  a  mental 
deception  ;  back  of  that  a  stump  under  certain  conditions. 


All    Values   Yield  to    Concentration.       223 

"  Ten  thousand  applications  are  possible.  I  take 
one  only — cures  of  all  sorts  of  disease  attributed  to  all 
sorts  of  remedies.  We  need  not  deny  the  cures;  there 
are  millions  of  cures,  blessed  be  Nature  1  But  is  the 
agency  of  cure  in  any  given  case  precisely  what  it  is  said 
to  be  ?  Is  this  the  ghost  fact  of  Christian  Science,  Mental 
Healing,  drugs,  or  prayer?  All  the  things  named  contain 
values  for  us.  I  simply  suggest  that  when  you  attribute 
your  cure  to  one  agency  or  another,  you  strip  all  claims 
down  to  naked  fact.  That  is  the  one  sane  test  of  the 
question  whether  a  thing  is  a  ghost  or  a  fact. 

"Illustration  No.  2.  Witchcraft  had  its  facts,  its  sup- 
posed truth,  and  —  its  real  truth.  When  men  insisted  on 
seeing  the  real  facts,  many  of  the  fictitious  facts  disap- 
peared, the  supposed  truth  vanished,  and  the  real  truth  — 
awaited  discovery.  After  science  had  adopted  the  above 
methods,  instead  of  the  old  shout,  'superstition' — con- 
tentment in  which  has  hurt  science  more  than  it  has  hurt 
any  other  department  of  our  life —  the  backlying  facts  be- 
gan to  emerge,  and  the  truths,  clairvoyance,  clairaudience, 
hypnotism,  fear,  imagination,  etc.,  etc.,  came  slowly  into 
light.  We  are  now  trying  to  find  out  why  science  should 
say,  '  all  bosh '  to  '  mesmerism,'  '  occultism,'  spiritualism, 
religion,  or  any  other  thing  under  the  heavens." 

The  conclusion  is  this  :  Make  sure  of  the  facts  ;  get 
at  the  real  truth ;  keep  open  house  to  every  proposition 
claiming  to  be  real,  but  accept  nothing  not  clearly  demon- 
strated to  sane  but  inspired  reason. 

In  every  part  of  the  work  of  this  chapter,  keep  in 
mind  the  sentence :  "  I  am  conscious  of  the  sense  of 
Will."  You  will  not  be  distracted,  but  rather  helped  by 
that  recollection. 

ONLY  WILL  1  ALL  THINGS  ARE  POSSIBLE 
TO  HIM  THAT  WILLS. 


REMEMBERED. 


In  ancient  (fays,  -when  hearts  were  bold, 
And  courage  burned  to  meet  the  foe, 
The  -wandering  bard  his  story  told 
To  eager  listeners,  young  and  old, 
Of  deeds  heroic,  life  sublime, 
And  gods  and  humans  mighty  all, 
Till,  swept  by  passion's  fiery  flow 
His  soul  was  lost  to  sj>ace  or  time 
And  theirs  in  valor's  'clarion  call. 


We  wonder  not  the  leaping  words  — 
The  syllables  that  lilted  sweet  — 
Or  the  fierce  breath  that  red  blood  curds- 
Or  the  one  Name  dark  awe  engirds, 
Should  bind  men  to  the  singer's  will, 
Resounding  through  the  windy  hall, 
Or  answered  from  the  wolfs  retreat:  — 
The  singer  lost  in  passion's  skill, 
The  listeners  swept  by  -valor's  call. 

The  song  was  like  to  gold  a-melt; 

The  -voice  a  diamond  Pen  to  write; 
And  souls  were  wax  :    the  story,  felt, 
It  burned,  and  left,  then,  scar  and  welt 
For  love  and  altar,  home  and  friend. 
Oh,  long  the  singer's  woven  thrall  ! 
And  high  the  story's  growing  might! 
His  heart  in  Iliad  or  in  Zend, 
And  the.irs  alost  in  valor's  call. 

This  is  the  Tale  of  Memory, 

The  living  scroll  of  timeless  earth  ; 

Sung-  to  the  air  ;  writ  facilely 

In  spirits  eager  thrilled  to  be 

By  love  and  battle,  home  and  Book;  — 

Responsive  ever  to  the  worth 

Of  Life,  our  Bard.    All  hail  his  thrall! 

For  in  his  passion1  s  voice  and  look 

We  learn  high  valor's  clarion  call. 


—  THB  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

EXERCISES  IN  MEMORY. 

RETAIN  a  clear  impression  or  image  of 
everything  at  which  I  have  looked,  although 
the  coloring  of  that  impression  is  necessarily 
vivid  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  interest  with  which 
the  object  was  regarded.  I  find  this  faculty  of  much  use 
and  solace  to  me.  By  its  aid  I  can  live  again  at  will  in 
the  midst  of  any  scene  or  circumstance  by  which  I  have 
been  surrounded.  By  a  voluntary  act  of  mind  I  can  in  a 
moment  conjure  up  the  whole  of  any  one  out  of  the  in- 
numerable scenes  in  which  the  slightest  interest  has  at  any 
time  been  felt  by  me."  —  Dr.  John  Kitto. 

THEORY  OF  CHAPTER. 
Review  deepens  mental  impressions  ; 
Storing  of  mind  enlarges  it,  and  gives  it  immense  mo- 
mentum  ; 

The  effort  to  secure  mental  force  multiplies  Will-energy. 

It  was  John  Ruskin  who  said,  "  There  are  but  two 
strong  conquerors  of  the  forgetfulness  of  men,  Poetry  and 
Architecture."  But  Ruskin  had  the  far  outlook  in  mind. 
There  is  but  one  strong  conqueror  of  the  personal  forget- 
fulness, and  that  is  the  determined  Will.  The  poem  and 
the  cathedral  preserve  their  age  in  the  world's  memory ; 
the  resolute  Will  preserves  the  individual's  mind  from 
becoming  a  sieve.  The  Rev.  Dwight  Hillis  once  remarked 
in  a  lecture,  that  he  forgot  with  his  memory.  This  was 


226  Exercises  in  Memory. 

an  old  pleasantry.  Men  forget  at  times  because  of  the 
rush  of  thought  forbidding  the  quick  grasp  of  mind  neces- 
sary to  the  thing  desired.  But  the  real  secret  of  forget- 
ting lies  in  a  vaporous  condition  of  Will. 

PRELIMINARY. 

There  is  therefore  but  one  "  golden  rule "  for  im- 
provement of  the  memory.  The  "  golden  rule  "  is  the 
iron  rule  of  persistent  and  intelligent  exercise.  The  first 
requisite  of  memory-cultivation  is  attention  ;  the  second  is 
found  in  the  laws  of  memory.  Memory  depends  upon 
mental  impressions,  and  these  upon  attention,  understand- 
ing, similarity  and  contrast,  and  Will.  All  elements  of 
success  here  call  primarily  upon  the  latter. 

Professor  James  has  formulated  the  law  :  "  Whether 
or  no  there  be  anything  else  in  the  mind  at  the  moment  when 
we  consciously  will  a  certain  act,  a  mental  conception  made 
up  of  memory-images  of  these  sensations,  defining  which 
special  act  it  is,  must  be  there." 

The  secret  of  the  Will  is  anticipation  based  on  memory. 

Not  to  refine  unduly,  it  may  be  said  that  the  power 
to  remember  is  measured  by  the  ability  to  attend.  Joy, 
pain,  and  the  like  are  easily  recalled  because  they  greatly 
impress  the  mind;  to  secure  an  equally  adequate  degree 
of  attention  in  regard  to  other  matters  demands  that  the 
soul  set  itself  about  the  task  of  deepening  its  own  impres- 
sions. Hence  we  may  say,  speaking  broadly,  to  attend 
is  to  will ;  to  will  is  to  attend. 

"All  determinate  recollection,"  as  remarked  by  Dr. 
Carpenter,  "  involves  the  exercise  of  volitional  control 
over  the  direction  of  the  thoughts." 

RiGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  i.  Select  the  best  specimen  of  con- 
densed and  simple  English  that  you  can  find.  Read  a 


Beaten    Tracks  Become  High-ways.       227 

paragraph  carefully.  Begin  to  read  again,  defining  to 
yourself  every  word.  If  you  are  in  the  slightest  doubt, 
consult  a  dictionary.  Go  hungry  a  month  to  possess  a 
first-class  dictionary.  After  satisfying  yourself  that  you 
understand  every  word  in  the  first  sentence,  make  sure 
that  you  understand  the  sentence  as  a  whole.  Now  pro- 
ceed, attentively  and  with  strong  Will,  to  repeat  the  first 
few  words,  keeping  words  and  thought  in  mind.  Do  not 
repeat  like  a  parrot,  but  think,  resolving  to  remember  — 
the  words  and  what  they  say.  Continue  until  you  have 
memorized  this  part  of  the  sentence.  Then  go  on  in  the 
same  manner  with  the  next  few  words.  Fix  these  firmly 
in  mind.  Now  recall  all  words  and  thought  thus  far  com- 
mitted, and  repeat,  again  and  again,  thinking  the  thought 
as  you  do  so  with  the  utmost  attention  and  energy.  Pro- 
ceed in  this  way  until  the  entire  sentence  is  mastered. 

It  will  be  better  not  to  try  too  many  words  at  a  time  ; 
you  will  easily  ascertain  the  number  most  convenient  to 
your  mind. 

In  this  method,  never  for  a  moment  forget  to  keep  in 
mind  the  ideas  presented  by  the  language.  As  words 
often  represent  different  shades  of  meaning,  will  attention 
to  the  shade  here  used.  Let  the  work  be  done  with  the 
utmost  concentrated  energy. 

If  you  will  repeat  that  sentence  frequently  during  the 
day,  wherever  you  chance  to  be,  always  thoughtfully  and 
determinedly,  you  will  fasten  it  firmly  in  mind. 

If  you  will  repeat  the  same  exercise  with  another 
sentence  the  following  day,  and  frequently  repeat  both 
sentences,  the  first  will  become  more  deeply  impressed 
upon  memory,  and  the  second  will  be  acquired  as  fully  as 
was  the  first. 

The  value  of  repetition  is  not  new.  But  the  point 
of  this  exercise  lies  not  so  much  in  repetition  of  words  as 


228  Exercises  in  Memory. 

in  concentrated  and  continuous  gripping  of  their  thought. 
In  all  repetition,  therefore,  study  and  master  the  ideas 
which  they  present. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  you  are  memorizing  some 
brief  poem  or  bit  of  prose.  When  it  has  been  acquired, 
you  should  frequently  repeat  it  as  a  whole ;  say,  once  in 
several  days,  and  later,  once  during  several  weeks.  In  a 
comparatively  short  time  it  will  have  become  indelibly 
stamped  upon  the  mind.  Two  or  three  times  a  year  there- 
after recall  it,  which  will  preserve  it  from  "  drifting  out " 
again. 

Read  originals  now  and  then  for  correction  of  uncon- 
scious errors. 

If  it  is  the  thought  that  you  are  mainly  concerned 
about,  use  it  as  often  as  possible  in  conversation  or  writ- 
ing ;  work  it  over  in  your  own  material ;  you  will  thus 
work  it  thoroughly  into  your  own  mind.  This  done,  words 
and  source  are  of  little  importance.  Here  is  plagiarism 
defensible  before  the  gods.  They,  indeed,  practise  it 
more  than  their  worshipers. 

Some  books  are  not  worth  much  labor.  There  are 
others  which  will  amply  repay  a  resolve  to  master  them. 
If  you  thoroughly  master  one  small  book  during  a  year,  as 
life  and  reading  go,  you  will  do  well. 

But  there  are  few  books  that  should  be  verbally 
memorized.  You  wish  the  contents  rather  than  the  words. 
These  may  be  acquired  in  the  following  manner,  suppos- 
ing the  book  is  not  largely  technical,  and  to  a  degree, 
perhaps,  if  it  is  so : 

Exercise  No.  2.  First,  know  what  the  book  treats. 
Now  read  a  paragraph  very  carefully,  making  sure  that 
you  understand  every  word  and  its  thought  as  a  whole. 
Then  take  the  first  complete  statement  of  fact  or  theory, 


Beaten    Tracks  Become  Highways.       229 

whether  involving  one  sentence  or  many,  and  think  it  out 
aloud  and  in  your  own  words.  Read  again,  and  restate 
the  thought  in  different  language  from  that  employed  by 
the  author  or  by  yourself  in  the  effort  just  indicated. 
Imagine  that  you  are  speaking  to  some  person  ;  recite  to 
him  ;  compel  him  to  listen  ;  act  as  though  trying  to  teach 
him.  Seek  opportunity  to  do  the  same  with  real  people. 
Become,  without  ostentation,  a  walking  instructor.  Do  n't 
be  a  bore,  but  resolve  to  become  the  most  interesting  con- 
verser  among  your  acquaintances.  But  remember,  it  is 
always  the  contents  of  that  book  which  you  are  trying  to 
make  your  own  property. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  say  to  yourself  frequently 
during  the  day  :  "  This  book  affirms,  at  such  and  such  a 
place,  so  and  so" — stating  where  and  what  the  matter  is. 
Do  this  as  often  as  it  may  be  convenient.  When  you 
make  this  effort  of  memory,  think  backward  and  forward 
in  the  book  from  that  point.  At  the  close  of  the  day, 
repeat  all  that  you  have  thus  far  mastered.  Then  read 
the  book  for  correction  of  errors. 

On  the  following  day,  repeat  the  same  process  with 
the  next  complete  statement. 

Continue  as  above  until  you  have  passed  through  an 
entire  chapter. 

Now,  without  reading,  try  to  make  in  your  mind  alone 
a  mere  skeleton  of  the  main  thoughts  of  the  chapter. 
Then  memorize  the  skeleton.  The  chapter  may  reduce 
to  one  or  two  general  statements,  or  it  may  involve  a 
number  of  general  together  with  subordinate  propositions. 
Make  these  in  their  order  your  own. 

When  the  skeleton  has  been  firmly  fixed  in  mind, 
review  from  memory  the  series  of  statements  already 
thought  out  and  memorized,  and  of  which  the  skeleton  is 
a  reduction.  This  will  preserve  the  filling-in  of  the 


230  Exercises  in  Memory. 

synopsis.  Thereafter,  at  convenient  intervals,  proceed  in 
a  like  manner,  now  to  review  the  outline,  now  to  recall 
the  detailed  propositions. 

Now  proceed  in  the  same  way  to  the  next  chapter. 
Always  think  the  written  thoughts  in  your  own  words. 
Repeat  during  each  day  all  preceding  thought-statements 
of  the  chapter  in  hand,  as  well  as  the  one  of  that  day. 
When  the  second  chapter  has  been  finished,  think  out 
from  memory  a  skeleton  of  its  contents.  Meanwhile, 
during  the  exercises  with  the  present  chapter,  occasionally 
recall  the  thought-statements,  in  outline  and  in  detail,  of 
the  first  chapter,  looking  well  after  their  order.  When  the 
second  chapter  has  been  acquired,  think  out  occasionally 
a  consecutive  statement  of  the  contents  of  both  chapters. 
Then  construct  a  new  skeleton  of  all  thoughts  thus  far 
presented,  and  memorize  as  an  everlasting  possession. 

Continue  until  you  have  mastered  the  book. 

In  all  this  work,  ignore  whatever  is  not  strictly  essen- 
tial to  any  sentence-thought,  or  to  any  statement-paragraph. 

Such  labor  will  tax  your  patience,  but  it  will  surely 
make  you  master  of  your  book,  and  will  in  time  give  you 
the  greatest  facility  in  reading.  Ultimately  the  mind  may 
be  depended  upon  to  supply  all  necessary  filling-in,  if  the 
skeletons  have  been  well  understood  and  thoroughly  mem- 
orized. You  will  have  acquired  the  ability,  if  your  author 
is  worth  reading,  when  you  know  his  general  propositions, 
to  think  the  details  without  further  reading,  unless  the 
matter  is  technical  or  historical,  or  the  like. 

Exercise  No.  j.  While  passing  slowly  through  a 
room,  glance  swiftly  and  attentively  around.  Then,  in 
another  room,  recall  as  many  objects  noted  as  may  be 
possible.  Do  nothing  languidly.  Put  your  entire  energy 
into  this  exercise.  Repeat  every  day  for  ten  days,  with 


Beaten    Tracks  Become  High-ways.       231 

* 

rest  of  two  days,  making  a  record  of  results.     On  the 
tenth  day,  compare  records  and  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  4.  When  on  the  street,  note,  as  you 
pass  along,  all  objects  around  you.  Having  passed  a 
block,  recall  as  many  objects  as  possible.  Repeat  fre- 
quently every  day.  Repeat  during  ten  days,  with  rest, 
and  on  the  tenth  day,  note  improvement. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Resolve  with  great  Will-power,  when 
you  retire,  to  awaken  at  a  certain  hour,  and  instantly  to 
arise.  If  you  fail  for  a  time,  be  not  discouraged;  per- 
severe and  your  mind  will  surely  remember.  But  you 
must  instantly  arise  at  the  appointed  time,  or  yourself 
will  discover  that  you  do  not  really  mean  what  you  profess 
to  will.  Continue  until  you  have  acquired  the  ability  to 
awaken  at  any  desired  hour. 

Exercise  No.  6.  In  the  morning  resolve  to  recall  a 
certain  thought  at  an  exact  hour.  You  must  think  mightily 
on  this  resolution  and  fix  it  firmly  in  mind.  Then  dismiss 
it  from  immediate  thought  and  attend  to  other  duties  as 
usual.  Do  not  try  to  keep  it  in  mind.  In  time  you  will 
obey  your  own  order.  You  will  probably  fail  at  first,  but 
perseverance  will  make  you  master  of  appointments  of 
this  kind.  The  reflex  influence  in  other  matters  will  ap- 
pear in  due  time.  Continue  at  least  six  months. 

Exercise  No.  7.  When  you  start  for  your  school  or 
place  of  business,  intensely  resolve  to  return  by  a  certain 
different  route  from  that  followed  in  going.  Put  your 
whole  mind  into  this  determination.  In  time  you  will  not 
fail  to  remember.  Never  by  action  contradict  any  of 
these  resolutions.  Continue  at  least  six  months. 

Exercise  No.  8.  Walk  or  drive  to  your  school  or 
place  of  business,  and  return  home,  in  as  many  different 


232  Exercises  in  Memory. 

and  previously  planned  ways  as  possible.  Never  deviate 
from  the  plan.  At  the  end  of  each,  arrange  another  for 
going  and  coming,  and  adhere  to  it  as  a  matter  of  the  ut- 
most importance.  Continue  at  least  six  months. 

Exercise  No.  9.  At  the  beginning  of  each  day  make 
a  plan  for  your  general  conduct  until  evening.  Learn  to 
have  an  order  for  action.  Be  master  of  yourself.  Having 
decided  upon  such  plan  for  the  day,  never,  if  possible  to 
carry  it  out,  vary  its  execution.  Do  not  plan  for  more 
than  one  day  at  a  time,  unless  the  nature  of  your  doings 
requires  it,  and  in  this  event,  leave  particulars  for  each 
morning.  Make  your  plans  with  care  and  strong  Will, 
but  do  not  burden  the  mind  with  them  in  a  way  to  inter- 
fere with  details  that  spring  up.  Command  your  mind  to 
attend  to  the  plan  without  forcing  you  to  unnecessary 
strain  of  conscious  thought.  It  is  always  better  to  arrange 
for  results,  leaving  minute  details  to  be  decided  according 
to  demands  of  the  moment.  Continue  six  months. 

Exercise  No.  10.  At  the  close  of  each  day  carefully 
review  your  thoughts  and  doings  since  morning.  What 
have  been  your  most  valuable  ideas  ?  What  your  most 
emphatic  sensations  ?  What  your  most  important  actions  ? 
Have  you  carried  out  your  plans?  If  not,  why  not  ?  How 
might  your  thoughts,  feelings  and  doings  have  been  im- 
proved ?  What  have  been  your  motives  ?  Have  they 
been  wise  and  worthy  ?  Resolve  upon  betterment  the 
next  day,  and  incorporate  this  resolution  into  its  plan. 
Continue  this  exercise  indefinitely. 

The  preceding  are  suggestions  only.  They  are  based 
upon  a  law  of  the  mind.  If  they  appear  to  be  unneces- 
sary and  tedious,  that  may  be  an  evidence  of  the  inde- 
terminate and  weak  Will.  It  is  a  law,  as  remarked  by 
Dr.  James  Sully,  "  that  increase  in  the  power  of  foreseeing 


Beaten    Tracks  Become  High-ways.       233 

action  tends  to  widen  the  area  of  resolution.  Thus,  so  far 
as  our  daily  actions  become  ordered  according  to  a  plan, 
they  all  have  a  stage  of  resolution  as  their  antecedent. 
We  habitually  look  forward  to  the  succession  of  actions 
making  up  the  business,  etc.,  of  the  day,  and  resolve  to 
perform  them  in  due  order  as  circumstances  occur.  And 
the  subordination  of  action  to  ruling  ends  implies,  as 
hinted  above,  a  habitual  state  of  resolution,  that  is  pre- 
paredness to  act  in  certain  ways  in  certain  circumstances." 

Exercise  No.  n.  Make  it  a  rule  of  life  to  learn  some 
new  and  useful  thing  every  day.  Especially  go  outside 
of  your  business  for  such  information.  This  will  test  the 
Will  and  store  the  memory. 

Exercise  No.  12.  Frequently  commit  to  memory  lists 
of  dates,  and  review  often  enough  to  hold  in  memory. 

Make  groupings  of  historic  dates  and  commit  to 
memory.  Link  each  group  as  a  group  with  other  groups 
from  time  to  time.  Frequently  review. 

Exercise  No.  13.  Make  lists  of  objects  of  public  in- 
terest in  your  community,  with  skeletons  of  information 
concerning  them.  Commit,  and  frequently  review. 

Exercise  No.  14.  Commit  and  frequently  review  lists 
of  names,  as  United  States  Presidents,  English  Monarchs, 
United  States  Navy  Vessels,  etc. 

Exercise  No.  15.  Determine  thoroughly  to  study 
some  subject  which  lies  outside  your  business.  Keep  at 
it.  Remember,  growth  of  mind  and  Will ! 

Exercise  No.  16.  Make  the  following  a  perpetual 
re'gime : 

i.  Never  be  content  with  any  partial  acquaintance 
with  things. 


234  Exercises  in  Memory. 

2.  Learn   to  refer  items  of  knowledge  to  general 
principals. 

3.  Employ  all  aids  suggested  by  any  particular  study. 

4.  Follow  some  natural  or  logical  order  in  fixing 
facts,  propositions,  etc.,  in  memory. 

5.  Cultivate  attentive  observation  wherever  you  are 
placed. 

6.  Stand  squarely  and  conscientiously  on  the  side 
of  truth. 

MEMORY  CHARACTERISTICS. 

"  In  a  very  general  way,"  as  remarked  in  "Business 
Power"  a  volume  in  the  Power-Book  Library,  "the  mental 
characteristics  in  the  matter  of  memory  may  be  indicated 
by  the  following  analysis  : 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  occupied  with  objec- 
tively induced  sensations. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  given  to  emotions  of 
pleasures  and  pains.  . 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  running  to  mental 
pictures. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  good  in  the  matter  of 
dates  and  figures. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  attentive  to  abstract 
ideas. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  interested  in  principles. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  elaborative  of  laws. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  given  to  details. 

"  Mind  and  memory  especially  given  to  construction 
of  wholes. 

"  Now,  all  minds  and  memories  of  average  intelli- 
gence possess  all  the  characteristics  thus  indicated  in  some 
degree,  but  none  of  us  possesses  them  in  any  all-round 
equal  degree.  The  type  of  mind  is  determined  by  the  pre- 


Beaten    Tracks  Become  High-ways.        235 

vailing  characteristic.  Thus  also  with  memories.  If  your 
type  of  memory  is  shown  above,  and  if  you  require  im- 
provement in  some  one  or  more  of  the  particular  types  por- 
trayed, the  method  consists  in  persistent  attention  and  the 
formation  of  habits  in  the  desired  direction  by  constant 
practice  and  the  constant  use  of  associations.  You  are 
urged  especially  to  observe  that  the  words :  Resolution 
—  Attention  —  Persistence  —  Repetition  —  Association  — 
Habit,  represent  the  amount  and  kind  of  effort  demanded. 

"  Take,  for  example,  the  memory  of  details.  Are  you 
lacking  in  ability  to  recall  in  that  respect  ?  You  are  urged 
to  resolve  on  improvement,  to  attend  to  all  details  with  all 
your  mind,  to  persist  in  such  labor,  to  repeat  the  attention, 
to  associate  the  details  with  recollective  '  signs  '  of  any  sort 
that  you  may  invent,  to  form  the  habit  of  doing  all  this  in 
regard  to  details. 

"  The  trouble  with  people  who  forget  is  in  part  the 
fact  that  they  fail  to  fore-get.  In  some  cases  the  fore- 
getting  is  actual,  but  it  is  too  easy  and  quick,  for  one 
thing,  so  that  a  good  rule  will  be  found  in  this  remark  : 
'  My  work  really  begins  when  I  think  it  is  finished.'  With 
most  of  us  it  is  there  that  we  close  the  work.  In  other 
words,  when  you  are  sure  that  you  have  a  thing,  proceed 
to  hammer  it  into  mind,  so  to  speak,  for  safe-keeping.  But 
always  should  the  fore-getting  be  assimilated  by  associa- 
tion with  something  already  possessed  in  the  mind.  In  the 
process  of  fore-getting,  repetition  is  also  required  because 
this  habituates  the  mind  or  the  brain-cells  in  certain  ways 
so  that  accompanying  mental  actions  or  associations  are 
developed  which  assist  in  memory." 

Always,  in  striving  to  cultivate  the  memory,  call  up 
and  sustain  the  Mood  of  strong  and  confident  personality. 
Resolve  :  "  I  shall  acquire  a  great  memory  for  the  pur- 
pose of  increasing  the  power  of  my  Will." 


HOW  CAME  IMAGINATION? 


QUESTION. 

How  came  imagination  to  the  brain, 
Stirring  the  fiber ed  cells  till  nerves  alert 
Sped  messages  of  life  to  flesh  inert, 
And  all  the  marvelous  things  of  joy  or  pain 
Filled  mind  and  body  ?    Came  it  by  the  main 
Method  and  law  old  Nature  must  assert — 
As  the  blue  lotus  or  the  ruby's  stain — 
Or,  by  sheer  accident  law  failed  t'  avert  ? 


Came  it  that  love  might  fear  and  fearless  die. 

Came  it  that  blood  might  steal  Promethean  fires. 

Came  it  that  thought  might  drain  the  fount  of  truth. 

Came  it  that  self,  the  spirit-lark,  might  fly 

With  the  great  sun,  and  sing  as  night  expires. 

Came  it  that  soul  might  know  and  win  itnmortal  youth. 

—THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

EXERCISES  IN  IMAGINATION. 

JHENEVER  a  person  wills,  or,  rather,  professes 
to  will,  to  imagine,  he  has  in  fact  already 
imagined ;  and,  consequently,  there  can  be  no 
such  thing  as  imaginations  which  are  exclusively  the  result 
of  a  direct  act  of  the  Will."  —  Professor  Upham. 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  was  his  practice,  when 
engaged  in  the  composition  of  any  work,  to  excite  his  vein 
by  the  perusal  of  others  on  the  same  subject  or  plan,  from 
which  the  slightest  hint  caught  by  his  imagination,  as  he 
read,  was  sufficient  to  kindle  there  such  a  train  of  thought 
as,  but  for  that  spark  (and  that  direction  of  the  Will)  had 
never  been  awakened."  —  Sir  Thomas  Moore,  "Life  of 
Lord  Byron. " 

THEORY  OF  CHAPTER. 

The  highest  imagination  involves  all  the  powers  of  the 
mind  ; 

Willed  culture  of  imagination  secures  its  greatest 
efficiency  ; 

The  steadfast  application  of  imagination  highly  cul- 
tured to  the  concerns  of  life  requires  the  strongest  and  best- 
regulated  exercise  of  Will-power  ; 

That  means  the  mighty  Will  developed  all  round. 

"  All  the  leaders  in  the  world's  life  have  been  men  of 
imagination." 


238  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

It  is  in  the  action  of  the  imagination  that  the  ques- 
tion is  presented,  whether  a  man's  life  shall  be  governed 
by  the  subconscious  mind  to  take  him  where  it  may,  or 
by  the  conscious  Will  in  control  of  that  great  servant. 
The  imagination  should  be  cultivated  because  it  has  so 
important  a  place  in  all  our  affairs,  but  its  cultivation 
should  always  have  reference  to  the  sway  of  reason  in 
conjunction  with  a  reasonable  Will.  "  The  subjective 
mind,"  well  said  Olston  in  "  Mind  Power  and  Privileges," 
"  will  feed  upon,  and  create,  from  the  material  given  it  by 
the  Will.  Schopenhauer  said,  '  My  mind  draws  its  food 
from  the  medium  of  intelligence  and  thought ;  this  nour- 
ishment gives  body  to  my  work.'  He,  however,  directed 
the  course  of  his  reading  and  thought  to  such  things  as 
would  bear  upon  his  general  theme." 

Our  task  in  imagination,  then,  involves  not  only 
action  of  Will,  but  as  well  education  of  the  deepest  seK 
in  the  interest  of  reason,  judgment  and  right  motives  in 
Hfe. 

PRELIMINARY. 

Without  dwelling  upon  the  various  kinds  of  imagi- 
nation, as,  the  scientific,  the  mathematical,  the  inventive, 
the  philosophical,  the  artistic,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the 
ethical  imagination  is  by  far  the  most  important  The 
imaginative  power  is  indispensable  to  Will,  because  willing 
involves  motives  and  consequences,  and  the  mind  requires 
ability  to  tee  motives  and  consequences  clearly,  vividly, 
and  in  proper  relation. 

"/*  action  at  in  reasoning,  the  great  thing  is  the  quest 
of  right  conception." 

Many  persons  will  badly  because  they  cannot  perceive 
the  full  force  of  antagonizing  motives,  and  they  possess 
small  facility  for  calling  up  the  possible  outcomes  of 


PropJktt  Sftri  Thtfyf        :jo 

actions  or  courses  of  conduct  Hence  development  of 
Will  demands  exercise  in  consideration  of  desires,  reasons 
and  purposes  and  in  forepicturing  of  consequences. 

**//  imp  Ar  MM?  m  ftmrmt^  remarks  Professor  James, 
rv  Mttonttim  «ms**r  m  M« 


/,    We  begin,  first,  with  simple  imagi- 

n.-ur  srns.u:,  \  ..ill  .<  Nin;:'.r  rose,  .r.u?  imagine  ita 
fragrance.  Now  place  yourself  in  mind  before  a  hill  of 

losi's.aiul  im.u;uuMhf  .ui  to  Iv  l\f.i\  \  \\itl\lhtM)  t'ia£iutu'f 

What  would  be  the  effect  upon  yourself  ?  What  would 
you  do  in  such  a  case  ?  Repeat  this  exercise  with  a  drop 
of  musk.  Then  think  of  a  lake  of  musk.  Repeat  with 
the  notes  of  a  song»bird.  Then  imagine  a  forest  full  of 
birds,  all  singing. 

rtu--c-  «-wu  -isr>  Ntu'uM  be  conducted  IM  i  ,)ir.-i 

Hi  ins;  the-  Will  to  lva«  with   f.ir.U    JMWC-I    apM    t 
MAo  the-  un.»:;in.itio»  .vs  N(UM>:;  .uu!   distill    M 

Repeat  until  the  imaginary  sensations  become  is  vivid 
U  in  life 


k  J.  Stand  by  the  side  of  some  tunning 
stream)  or  near  a  water-fall,  or  in  %  factory  in  operation, 
Now  listen  attentively  to  the  sounds  that  assail  your  ear*. 

riu-u-  is  one   i;onri.\l   tvmlMiulu»M   ol    s.nuul       VVh.it  ,-.  tt 

like?  What  does  it  recall  to  memory?  What  mood  does 
it  bring  to  your  soul  ?  After  you  have  become  familiar 
with  the  whole  effect,  proceed  to  anal)  te  it  into  as  many 

vhlU-tc-nl  MoU-s  .is  NOVI  »-.»n  uVltvl.      \\  hrn    \,«u    h.ur   dOM 

this  thoroughly  —have  separated  the  whole  sound  into 
its  component  parts  —  imagine  clearly  and  powerfully,  a 

j-.u-.u  x.-V.m.-  >•;   .-M.-  ,  -:   I!-..-.,-  -.,.....;..,!,.  m.i1:.  :•.-.:-.  ..   .v,  l.-.u;  ..-. 


240  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

possible ;  then  continue  with  another,  and  a  third,  and  so 
on,  until  the  general  combination  has  been  exhausted. 
Lastly,  go  away  from  a  source  of  real  sound  to  a 
quiet  place,  and  recall,  first  the  general  harmony,  and  then 
its  individual  sounds  as  previously  analyzed.  Continue 
until  the  exercise  may  be  carried  on  with  perfect  ease. 

Exercise  No.  j.  Recall  to  memory  some  distant  and 
real  landscape.  The  difficulty  will  consist  in  bringing  up 
the  details,  but  these  must  be  supplied.  Resolute  prac- 
tice will  accomplish  the  result  desired.  By  a  supreme 
effort  make  the  mental  picture  as  real  as  life.  In  doing 
this  you  should  try  to  reinstate  the  soul's  moods  occa- 
sioned by  the  original  scene.  Place  yourself,  in  thought, 
on  the  exact  spot  where  first  you  saw  the  landscape,  and 
resolutely  compel  the  view  to  rise  before  you  with  as 
much  of  detail  as  possible.  Keep  the  willful  mood,  and 
continue  with  different  landscapes  until  you  can  summon 
a  vivid  picture  of  real  scenery  with  the  greatest  ease. 

Exercise  No.  4.  Recall  some  experience  which  has 
made  a  lasting  impression  upon  your  memory.  Pass 
again  in  thought  through  its  various  phases,  slowly,  care- 
fully, with  great  intensity  of  feeling.  Dwell  upon  its 
cause,  its  accessories,  and  its  effect  upon  you  at  the  time. 
Was  the  effect  pleasant  or  otherwise?  In  either  case, 
state  why.  What  influence  had  it  upon  your  subsequent 
life?  Would  you  repeat  it?  If  not,  why  not?  If  so, 
may  it  again  be  secured —  and  how  ?  May  it  be  avoided 
in  the  future  —  and  how  ? 

Continue  with  various  experiences  until  the  lessons 
of  caution  and  thoughtful  self-interest  become  permanent 
factors  in  your  mind. 

Exercise  No.  j.  In  a  quiet  room,  construct  imaginary 
pictures,  such  as  you  have  never  seen :  —  of  a  bird, 


Does  the  Prophet  Speak   Truly  ?         241 

grotesque  and  unreal ;  of  an  animal,  curious  yet  beautiful, 
or  perfectly  tame  but  horrible  ;  of  a  building,  magnificent 
yet  mysterious  ;  of  a  landscape,  weird  and  entrancing  or 
wild  but  not  forbidding.  Do  not  allow  the  mind  to  wander 
into  revery.  You  should  preserve  the  Will-mood  as 
strongly  as  possible.  Continue  until  control  of  the 
imagination  has  been  secured. 

Exercise  No.  6.  Gaze  at  some  large  object,  and  try 
to  discover  in  or  about  it  a  suggestion  for  the  play  of 
imagination.  It  is  a  horse  ?  Give  it  wings,  and  journey 
to  a  distant  planet.  It  is  a  spool  of  thread  ?  Make  it  to 
be  a  spider's  web  wherewith  to  weave  a  thousand  robes 
or  with  which  to  send  messages  without  unwinding  by 
charging  with  intensest  Will-power  as  you  breathe  upon  it. 
Continue  with  other  objects  and  various  fanciful  imagin- 
ings until  Will  is  master  of  imagination  —  to  call  up,  to 
control  or  to  banish. 

Exercise  No.  7.  Select  a  sentence  from  a  standard 
author,  which  illustrates  the  celerity  of  a  trained  imagin- 
ation, and  then  will  into  the  mind  the  complete  picture 
suggested.  Thus,  Lowell,  in  "  A  Moosehead  Journal," 
writes :  "  Sometimes  a  root-fence  stretched  up  its  bleach- 
ing antlers,  like  the  trophies  of  a  giant  hunter."  The  man 
who  said  this  tells  us  that  "  the  divine  faculty  is  to  see 
what  everybody  can  look  at"  The  "divine  faculty"  of 
"seeing"  should  be  cultivated.  And  it  may  become  an 
Aladdin's  Lamp  to  him  whose  Will  is  mighty.  Try,  now, 
to  picture  this  root-fence  of  Lowell's  scene  in  such  a  way 
as  to  suggest  bleaching  antlers.  Why  did  the  writer 
bleach  the  antlers  ?  Why  did  he  not  see  them  poised 
upon  a  row  of  deer-heads  ? 

Or,  take  another  sentence  from  the  same  author : 
"  A  string  of  five  loons  was  flying  back  and  forth  in  long, 


242  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

irregular  zigzags,  uttering  at  intervals  their  wild,  tremulous 
cry,  which  always  seems  far  away,  like  the  last  faint  pulse 
of  echo  dying  among  the  hills,  and  which  is  one  of  those 
few  sounds  that,  instead  of  disturbing  solitude,  only  deepen 
and  confirm  it."  Now,  if  you  have  not  heard  the  cry  of 
the  loon,  try  to  imagine  a  sound  which  reminds  you  of 
"  the  last  faint  pulse  of  echo  dying  among  the  hills."  If 
you  have  heard  these  birds,  call  up  the  scene  and  its 
impressions  as  vividly  as  possible.  In  either  case,  make 
the  present  impression  absolutely  real.  Keep  the  mind 
from  wandering,  holding  it  to  the  mood  suggested.  Then 
resolutely  banish  scene  and  feeling. 

Having  ascertained  what  the  imaginative  element  is 
in  such  sentences  (you  can  find  similar  everywhere),  pro- 
ceed to  write  some  statement  in  which  a  like  play  of  fancy 
is  obtained.  Do  not  be  discouraged.  Throw  yourself 
into  the  mood  of  imagination.  Practise  this  entire  exer- 
cise persistently  until  you  can  with  ease  secure  the  mood 
and  write  a  sentence  of  imaginative  beauty. 

The  old  injunction,  "  Know  thyself,"  is  by  most 
people  sadly  neglected.  It  is  worth  a  deal  of  labor  to 
get  acquainted  with  this  "unknown  land."  Lowell  writes 
that  "  a  man  should  have  traveled  thoroughly  round  him- 
self and  the  great  terra  incognita  just  outside  and  inside 
his  own  threshold,  before  he  undertakes  voyages  of  dis- 
covery to  other  worlds."  This  is  largely  true  even  of 
mental  voyages.  "  Who  hath  sailed  about  the  world  of 
his  own  heart,"  quotes  Lowell  from  Thomas  Fuller, 
"sounded  every  creek,  surveyed  each  corner,  but  that 
still  there  remains  much  ' terra  incognita*  to  himself?" 
It  would  be  well  if,  before  trying  to  read,  we  could  learn 
how  to  read ;  before  trying  to  study,  we  could  learn  how 
to  study.  These  exercises,  therefore,  have  in  view  the 
cultivation  of  one  of  the  greatest  of  human  faculties. 


Does  the  Prophet  Speak    Trtity  ?        243 

They  deal  with  simple  matters  because  this  would  seem 
to  be  best,  and  they  aim  at  suggestiveness  only ;  but  if 
they  are  faithfully  followed  they  will  result  in  a  developed 
imagination  and,  which  is  particularly  to  the  point  here, 
an  increased  power  of  Will  of  the  greatest  value  in  prac- 
tical life. 

Continue  these  exercises  indefinitely. 

Exercise  No.  8.  Examine  a  machine  of  not  very 
complex  construction.  Know  its  purpose.  Understand 
all  its  parts  and  their  mutual  relations.  When  you  have 
thoroughly  analyzed  the  mechanism,  close  your  eyes  and 
summons  it  before  the  mind.  Persist  in  this  endeavor 
until  you  are  able  to  form  a  vivid  mental  picture  of  the 
whole.  Then  mentally  take  it  to  pieces.  Then  mentally 
put  the  parts  together.  Now  try  to  suggest  some  im- 
provement by  which  some  of  the  parts  may  be  omitted,  or 
by  which  parts  may  be  better  adjusted,  or  by  which  the 
machine  may  be  made  to  accomplish  better  or  less 
expensive  wort.  Continue  this  exercise  with  various 
mechanisms  until  you  are  able  to  see  into  machinery,  can 
call  up  to  mind  its  inner  construction,  and  can  with  ease 
form  mental  pictures  of  its  wholes  and  its  parts. 

Exercise  No.  g.  Think  of  some  matter  in  your  life 
or  home  or  place  of  business  where  a  simple  device  or 
mechanism  would  prove  valuable  by  a  saving  of  time  or 
money.  The  opportunity  being  found,  proceed  to  think 
out  a  suitable  arrangement  for  the  purpose.  Do  not  be- 
come absorbed  in  this  effort  to  the  injury  of  other  interests. 
The  object  here  is  not  to  make  inventors,  but  to  develop 
power  of  imagination  in  order  that  motives  of  Will  and 
consequences  of  action  may  be  clearly  perceived.  Make 
this  exercise,  therefore,  a  study  to  such  end.  Above  all, 
keep  a  strong  sense  of  Will  thoroughly  in  mind.  Continue 


244  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

until  you  have  acquired  facility  in  the  constructive  imag- 
ination. 


Exercise  No.  10.  Recall  one  of  your  great  mistakes 
in  life,  review  carefully,  intensely,  the  various  motives 
which  appealed  to  you  at  that  time.  Think  over  their 
relations,  their  force,  their  persistence.  Judge  candidly 
whether  you  deliberated  sufficiently  before  acting.  Re- 
member distinctly  that  you  did  not  give  all  motives  or 
reasons  an  adequate  hearing.  Acknowledge  exactly  why 
you  yielded  to  some  motives  and  rejected  others.  Bring 
all  these  matters  before  your  mind  with  the  vividness  of  a 
present  experience.  Then  review  all  the  consequences 
of  your  then  choice.  In  what  respect  do  you  now  see 
that  you  ought  to  have  proceeded  differently  ?  Had  you 
so  done,  what  would  probably  have  been  the  outcome  ? 
Suppose  you  were  now  to  be  put  back  into  the  former 
circumstances.  How  would  you  decide  with  present 
knowledge?  To  avoid  a  similar  mistake  in  the  future, 
you  must  then  do  what  you  have  failed  to  do,  namely, 
deliberate  carefully,  summon  all  motives  into  court,  hear 
each  plea,  give  to  all  adequate  consideration  and  weight, 
and  vividly  foresee  all  consequences  of  choice  as  far  as 
possible.  The  present  exercise  is  designed  to  assist  you 
to  these  desired  ends.  Continue  such  review  work  until 
you  have  called  up  for  examination  all  mistakes  which 
you  can  remember.  Meanwhile  mightily  resolve  to  fore- 
fend  the  future  by  giving  every  important  matter  utmost 
careful  attention. 

Exercise  No.  II.  Recall  to  memory  some  very  attrac- 
tive bit  of  landscape  observed  in  your  travels.  Let  us 
say  it  is  a  great  piece  of  woods  seen  in  autumn.  Picture 
this  scene  to  the  soul :  the  undulating  ground,  covered 


Does  the  Prophet  Speak   Truly?        245 

with  fallen  leaves  and  dotted  by  occasional  clumps  of 
bushes ;  the  many  colors  of  the  foliage  still  crowning  the 
trees,  whose  numberless  trunks  lift  into  the  canopy  above 
and  afford  sunlit  vistas  in  every  direction  ;  the  play  of  the 
winds  upon  the  gleaming  leaves,  fallen  and  dropping  and 
still  clinging  ;  the  vast  quiet  which  broods  over  all,  save 
when  broken  by  the  sighing  of  the  breeze  or  the  call  of 
birds  from  the  open  ;  the  swiftly  moving  stealth  of  squir- 
rels along  the  ground  or  among  the  branches ;  and  the 
strange  and  pleasurable  moods  suggested  when  you  stood 
there  in  nature's  haunt  of  beauty. 

Now  invent  reflections  in  connection  with  this  scene. 
Proceed  first,  by  the  law  of  similarity.  Of  what  does  it 
remind  you  ?  You  are  to  make  the  scene  you  have  imag- 
ined the  basis  and  cause  of  other  scenes  similar  in  one  or 
more  respects ;  and  you  are  deliberately  to  analyze  the 
suggestion,  the  two  scenes  by  comparison,  and  the  moods 
of  thought  occasioned  by  both,  with  reasons  for  the  same- 
Do  not  fall  into  revery.  This  is  downright  work.  Its 
value  depends  altogether  upon  the  amount  of  Will  which 
you  put  into  it,  and  the  intelligence  with  which  you  control 
the  mind  during  the  labor  involved. 

Proceed,  now,  to  make  this  scene  the  basis  and  cause 
of  another  scene  by  contrast.  You  are  to  repeat  the  above 
exercise  in  all  respects,  except  that  contrast,  and  not 
similarity,  is  to  furnish  your  material. 

Follow  these  directions  daily  until  their  full  value  is 
apparent  in  imagination  entirely  under  control  of  Will. 

Exercise  No.  12.  The  above  directions  may  be  re- 
peated by  substituting  experience  for  scenery,  proceeding, 
first,  by  similarity,  and  then  by  contrast  In  all  cases  be 
strongly  conscious  of  the  willing  sense.  Continue  the 
exercise  indefinitely. 


246  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

Exercise  No.  /j.  Read  some  famous  poem  of  the 
imagination.  It  will  be  better  to  commit  it  to  memory. 
Having  thoroughly  mastered  it,  by  understanding  every 
word,  and  by  vividly  picturing  in  the  mind  every  element 
of  fancy,  go  on  to  analyze  it,  making  a  clear  statement  in 
writing  of  its  consecutive  thoughts.  Then  note  carefully 
every  specimen  of  imagination  which  it  contains.  Then 
determine  its  faults  and  its  beauties  as  a  work  of  the 
imagination.  Then  observe  the  relation  and  dependence 
of  one  element  upon  another.  Then  ascertain  the  secret 
of  its  beauty  and  of  its  power  upon  thought  and  feeling. 
Learn  why  it  has  lived  and  exerts  its  acknowledged  influ- 
ence. What  is  that  influence  ?  Continue  this  exercise 
indefinitely  until  you  have  mastered  many  of  the  world's 
great  poems. 

Exercise  No.  14.  In  a  similar  manner,  read  some 
famous  book  (not  fiction),  and  treat  its  imaginative  ele- 
ments as  secrets  to  be  discovered  and  explained.  Con- 
tinue this  work  with  the  best  in  your  library. 

Exercise  No.  75.  Take  a  work  of  fiction,  and  give  it 
a  similar  analysis.  You  are  now  dealing  with  pictures  of 
life  and  human  nature.  Read  so  as  to  obtain  a  vivid 
portrait  of  each  character.  Become  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  all  the  personages  of  the  book.  Study  the  reasons 
for  their  actions.  Investigate  their  motives.  Note  the 
influence  of  ancestry  and  environment  upon  them.  Ob- 
serve whether  or  not  they  are  acting  in  a  manner  that  is 
true  to  life.  Would  you  act  differently?  And  why? 
Appreciate  the  fact  that  they  reason  falsely  and  do  not 
adequately  consider  all  reasons  involved  in  choice,  and 
hence,  do  not  give  due  weight  to  the  best  motives  that 
appeal  to  them.  Go  on  to  follow  their  conduct  to  conse- 
quences. Are  these  natural  —  demanded  by  previous 


Does  the  Prophet  Speak   Truly?          247 

acts  and  conditions  ?  Could  the  characters  have  been  im- 
proved ?  Or  the  plot  ?  Or  the  general  developments  of  the 
persons  ?  Or  the  outcome  of  their  actions  and  relations  ? 

Make  the  book  a  piece  of  real  life,  and  study  it  as 
above  suggested,  in  order,  first,  that  you  may  thoroughly 
understand  it,  and,  secondly,  that  you  may  apply  its  les- 
sons to  your  own  life.  Continue  until  you  have  mastered 
the  best  works  of  fiction  in  English. 

In  all  this  remember  that  you  are  cultivating  the  imagi- 
nation for  the  purpose  of  discovering  reasons  for  or  against 
conduct  and  of  appreciating  consequences.  By  as  much  as 
you  so  discover  and  appreciate  in  real  life  must  your  Will 
become  strengthened  and  its  determination  wiser. 

"  The  determinate  exercise  of  the  Judgment"  says  Pro- 
fessor W.  B.  Carpenter,  "  which  involves  the  comparison  of 
ideas,  can  only  take  place  under  the  guidance  of  the  Will" 

Exercise  No  16.  Suppose  yourself  to  be  about  to 
take  a  certain  step  or  to  perform  a  certain  act.  It  is  a 
matter  of  vital  importance.  You  wish  to  make  no  mistake, 
for  your  happiness  and  welfare  depend  upon  your  decis- 
ion. But  how  are  you  to  proceed  ?  You  may  choose  one 
thing  or  the  other.  The  wisdom  of  your  choice  involves 
the  adequate  consideration  of  two  matters  —  motives  and 
consequences.  Apprehended  consequences  are  motives, 
but  this  division  is  convenient.  Under  motives  may  be 
arranged  reasons  for  and  against  either  choice;  under 
consequences  all  outcomes  which  you  can  see  as  likely  or 
probably  to  follow  your  decision.  If  you  have  cultivated 
memory,  the  recollection  of  other  similar  problems  which 
you  have  been  compelled  to  solve  will  come  to  your 
assistance.  If  you  have  cultivated  imagination,  you  will 
be  enabled  to  see  clearly  the  motives  that  appeal  to  you,  and 
you  will  also  have  power  to  imagine  yourself  as  entering 


248  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

upon  one  course  of  procedure,  passing  through  possible 
consequent  experiences  and  reaping  ultimate  outcomes. 
Here  will  appear  the  values  of  preceding  exercises.  But 
above  all,  you  should  bring  to  this  imaginary  problem  (a 
real  problem  will  serve  better)  a  vivid  sense  of  its  reality 
and  importance,  and  a  feeling  of  strong  resolution  to 
consider  it  with  all  your  might,  and  to  solve  it  in  the  best 
possible  manner. 

Let  us  now  suppose  the  problem.  You  are  not  fond 
of  the  city  or  town  in  which  you  are  living  and  conducting 
your  business.  You  wish  to  change  residence  and  busi- 
ness to  another  place.  But  there  are  difficulties  in  the 
way.  These  difficulties  you  are  now  to  consider. 

First,  recall  all  previous  experiences  in  similar  mat- 
ters, and  keep  them  constantly  in  mind.  Secondly,  write 
in  brief  every  conceivable  objection  to  a  change.  Ex- 
ample :  from  your  present  domicile.  All  your  friends  and 
associates  are  here.  You  have  here  a  business  standing 
of  say,  twenty  years.  Your  trade  or  clientage  is  estab- 
lished and  certain.  The  town  is  growing.  Investments 
are  fairly  remunerative,  and  they  are  safe.  Your  property 
is  located  in  this  place.  Taxes  are  rather  high,  but  not 
unreasonable,  and  they  represent  improvements.  Your 
home  is  good  and  pleasantly  situated.  Your  family  enjoy 
fine  social  relations  and  are  fond  of  the  town.  The  chil- 
dren are  taking  root.  They  have  opportunities  of  value. 
Schools  are  first  class.  Public  opinion  is  sound.  Morals 
are  at  least  average.  The  churches  are  fairly  active  and 
progressive.  Your  age  is  forty-five. 

On  the  other  hand :  Climate  is  not  agreeable.  Some 
enemies  have  been  developed.  Only  a  moderate  business 
can  be  carried  on  here.  Investments  do  not  yield  a  large 
return.  Taxes  are  increasing.  The  population  cannot 
exceed  a  certain  rather  low  estimate.  No  new  railroad 


Does  the  Prophet  Speak   Truly?        249 

facilities  need  be  expected.  Manufacturing  interests  are 
not  likely  to  become  numerous.  The  surrounding  coun- 
try is  agricultural,  and  it  no  longer  yields  its  old  crops. 
There  are  no  mineral  resources  beneath  the  surface, 
The  place  is  far  removed  from  points  of  interest  —  the 
mountains,  the  sea,  the  great  cities.  You  have  long  been 
conscious  of  a  degree  of  discontent  and  restlessness. 
You  believe  that  a  new  environment  would  stir  you  up  to 
better  achievements.  You  ought  to  have  a  larger  return 
for  your  investments  of  time  and  money.  You  desire  the 
advantages  of  a  larger  sphere.  Your  family  might  therein 
find  increased  opportunities  for  enjoyment  and  a  start  in 
life.  You  have  known  better  society  than  that  in  which 
you  now  move.  The  church  of  your  choice  is  not  located 
in  the  town  where  you  live. 

After  these  imaginary  presentations  of  reason  for 
and  against  a  change,  a  decision  is  still  difficult.  You 
must  now  go  on  to  select  tentatively  some  place  to  which 
you  may  possibly  transfer  your  life.  There  may  be  several 
in  mind.  Each  location  must  receive  a  full  and  careful 
consideration.  You  are  lawyer  and  judge,  and  you  must 
plead  honestly  as  the  one,  and  decide  impartially  as  the 
other. 

In  each  contemplated  move,  you  must  call  up  every 
possible  advantage  and  disadvantage,  especially  the 
latter,  which  may  be  likely  to  accrue  from  any  choice 
that  you  may  make.  After  each  case,  for  and  against, 
has  been  presented,  proceed  carefully  to  weigh  them  as 
wholes,  taking  in  the  general  impression  of  both.  Now 
note  the  balance  of  judgment:  "To  go,  or  not  to  go." 
Then  proceed  to  review  each  case,  and  carefully  strike 
out  all  reasons  that  offset  one  another,  noting,  again,  at 
the  last,  the  general  balance  of  judgment :  "  To  go,  or 
not  to  go."  If  the  two  general  judgments  disagree,  set 


250  Exercises  in  Imagination. 

the  matter  aside  for  future  consideration.  If  they  agree, 
hold  the  matter  in  abeyance  a  time,  but  resolve  to  decide 
definitely  after  sufficient  opportunity  for  final  reflection. 
If  then  you  are  in  doubt,  stay  where  you  are. 

Proceed  in  a  similar  manner  with  reference  to  the 
place  to  which  you  propose  to  move.  If  after  a  full  delib- 
eration you  are  in  doubt  as  to  one  place,  try  another.  If, 
having  determined  to  move,  you  cannot  decide  upon  the 
place  "to  which,"  remain  where  you  are.  If  you  decide 
to  move,  stir  not  until  the  new  residence  has  been  prop- 
erly determined.  If  that  is  fixed,  bend  every  energy  to 
move  to  your  own  advantage.  When  your  opportunity 
arrives,  seize  it  quickly.  Then  dismiss  absolutely  all 
regrets. 

Continue  these  exercises  indefinitely. 

The  above  are  rough  suggestions  merely.  They  set 
forth  what  intelligent  people  always  substantially  do  with 
reference  to  matters  of  importance.  They  are  here  offered 
because  many  even  intelligent  men  seem  wanting  in  the 
power  clearly  to  see  motives  and  possible  consequences 
connected  with  momentous  decisions.  There  are  strong 
Wills  which  are  not  wisely  exercised  because  of  a  simple 
lack  of  imaginative  thinking.  Many  Wills  are  like  guns 
set  with  hair-triggers  —  they  go  off  before  good  aim  can 
be  taken.  Deliberation  is  worth  gold  and  stocks,  and  it 
forefends  against  sorrow.  But  a  good  deliberation  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  imaginative  power  of  the  soul. 
Our  great  trouble  in  life  is  that  we  "didn't  know  it  was 
loaded."  It  is  the  work  of  the  Will-controlled  imagination 
to  know.  Here  is  the  great  prophet  of  success. 

"  Where  the  Will  is  healthy  the  vision  must  be 
correct." 

The  healthy  Will  is  that  which  is  bent  on  achieving 
right  personal  success  by  right  methods,  because  self  is  a 


Does  the  Prophet  Speak   Truly?        251 

unit  in  the  world's  complex  whole,  which  is  slowly  evolving 
the  right  universal  Will. 

The  law  of  all  this  individual  evolution  is  the  double 
law  of  self-knowledge  and  adjustment. 

That  this  law  may  "  come  good  "  in  your  case,  you 
need  to  cultivate,  and  rightly  use,  yourself  and  your  re- 
lations~with  the  world.  It  is  here  that  imagination  plays 
its  part.  Who  are  you  ?  Find  that  out.  What  is  your 
best  adjustment  to  the  world?  Find  that  out.  Learn  to 
see  things  (in  self  —  in  world),  first,  as  they  really  are; 
secondly,  as  they  should  be  for  all-round  welfare.  Then 
carry  out  the  vision. 

The  Will  must  not  only  be  strong;  it  must  also  act 
wisely.  Its  realest  motto  is :  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL 
—  WITH  POWER,  AND  FOR  THE  BEST.  THERE- 
FORE, ATTENTION !  TO  REASONS  AND  TO  CON- 
SEQUENCES!! 


WHO  HATH  WISDOM? 


Said  a  king,  one  day,  to  his  sober  fool, 

" Your  name,  good  friend,  is  far  from  fit j 

Fling  cap  and  bell  into  yonder  pool, 

And  say  me  nought  of  your  dead-man's  wit, 
For  a  sober  fool  is  the  Devil's  skit." 

Said  the  grinning  fool  to  the  sober  king, 

"  Your  name,  good  friend,  is  quite  misnamed; 
Doff  sword  and  sceptre,  stand  and  sing, 

And  say  me  nought  of  your  kingcraft  famed. 
For  a  foolish  king  is  the  Devil  shamed." 

Niw  a  fool  is  king  when  a  fool  complete, 
But  a  king  all  fool  is  a  madman' s  freak  :  — 
/  would  liefer  be  the  world1  s  great  jest 
Than  a  grinning  ape  in  purple  dressed. 
Yet  a  saner  choice  of  plan  or  dream 
It  tke  soul  that 's  king  by  worth  supreme. 

—  THB  AUTBOK. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
SOME  DISEASES  OF  THE  IMAGINATION. 

JHE  underlying  cause  of  all  weakness  and  un- 
happiness  in  man,  heredity  and  environment 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  has  always 
been,  and  is  still,  7veak  habit-of -thought.  This  is  proven 
by  the  observed  instances  in  which  strong  habit-of-thought 
has  invariably  made  its  masters  superior  to  heredity,  and 
to  environment,  and  to  illness,  and  to  weakness  of  all 
kinds,  and  has  redeemed  them  from  non-success  and 
misery,  to  the  enjoyment  of  success,  honor  and  happi- 
ness."—  Horace  Fletcher, 

There  are  some  dangers  connected  with  the  imagi- 
nation which  should  be  avoided,  because  they  are  enemies 
of  a  good  Will.  These  dangers  are  apparent  in  the  men- 
tal life  of  the  majority  of  people,  "  Common  sense,"  says 
James  Sully  in  "  Illusions,"  "  knowing  nothing  of  fine 
distinctions,  is  wont  to  draw  a  sharp  line  between  the 
region  of  illusions  and  that  of  sane  intelligence.  To  be 
the  victim  of  an  illusion  is,  in  the  popular  judgment,  to  be 
excluded  from  the  category  of  rational  men."  But  "  most 
men  are  sometimes  liable  to  illusion.  Hardly  anybody  is 
always  consistently  sober  and  rational  in  his  perceptions 
and  beliefs.  A  momentary  fatigue  of  the  nerves,  a  little 
mental  excitement,  a  relaxation  of  the  effort  of  attention 
by  which  we  continually  take  our  bearings  with  respect 
to  the  real  world  about  us,  will  produce  just  the  same 


254       Some  Diseases  of  the  Imagination. 

kind  of  confusion  of  reality  and  phantasm  which  we 
observe  in  the  insane." 

It  is  to  difficulties  of  this  character  that  the  present 
chapter  seeks  to  turn  attention,  because  it  is  believed  that 
they  are  curable  by  good  health  and  the  resolute  Will. 

One  of  these  enemies  of  Will  is  revery,  which  is  not 
of  a  true  imagination  because  not  controlled  by  the  mind. 
Revery  may  therefore  be  banished  by  the  Will,  and  a  true 
imagination  may  be  made  to  take  its  place. 

REGIMES. 

Exercise  No.  i.  Whenever  the  mind  exhibits  a  tend- 
ency to  wander  aimlessly  from  one  thing  to  another, 
instantly  check  its  roving.  In  order  to  this,  select  from 
its  pictures  a  single  image,  and  deliberately  proceed  to 
elaborate  that,  making  it  vivid,  building  up  its  various 
elements  into  a  complete  whole.  In  this  work,  banish  the 
revery-mood  and  call  up  the  resolute  sense.  Or  weave 
the  selected  image  into  some  train  of  purposed  thought  or 
action  involving  reasoning  and  an  end  to  be  attained. 
Consider  the  various  motives  and  follow  out  the  several 
consequences  to  an  ultimate.  Insist  upon  seeing  vividly 
every  picturable  thing  in  the  thought-train.  Hold  the 
mind  steadily  to  the  line  determined  on.  Continue  until 
the  bent  for  revery  is  displaced  by  a  habit  of  definite 
thinking. 

Some  minds  are  troubled  with  various  hallucinations. 
Here,  again,  imagination  is  out  of  control,  and  feelings  are 
made  real  and  images  are  rendered  objective  because 
such  is  the  case.  There  are  so-called  invalids  who  would 
now  enjoy  perfect  health  had  they  not  deceived  them- 
selves originally  and  thus  brought  about  conditions  which 
would  ruin  the  health  of  a  savage.  It  is  not  "  Christian 
Science,"  but  common  sense,  which  teaches  that  the  mind 


Live  in  the   Open  of  Right    Vision.      255 

may,  by  resolute  assertion  of  Will,  throw  off  many  physical 
discomforts.  The  writer  once  called  upon  a  woman  who 
had  taken  to  her  bed  from  sheer  obstinacy.  This  was 
her  only  real  disease.  But  it  was  real  enough  at  that. 
Had  she  been  maltreated,  neglected,  left  to  go  hungry,  or 
dragged  out  of  her  comfortable  nest  with  the  injunction 
to  get  well  or  get  out,  she  would  have  recovered  instantly. 

Exercise  No.  2.  For  a  thousand  imaginary  ills  the 
remedy  is  a  thoroughly  "  oxidized  "  state  of  mind,  a  mind 
saturated  with  the  atmosphere  of  common  sense  and  good 
health,  and  a  resolute  contradiction  by  Will  of  the  im- 
portance of  the  disease  or  pain.  The  remedy,  thus,  is 
not  reiterated  denial  that  the  ill  exists,  for  that  is  merely 
another  invitation  to  insanity,  and  it  often  simply  intensi- 
fies the  difficulty ;  the  soul  should  resolutely  assert  that 
the  matter  has  no  such  importance  as  is  suggested,  and 
then  proceed  to  forget  the  idea  by  strenuous  engagement 
in  other  considerations. 

Exercise  No.  3.  Visual  and  auditory  hallucinations 
may  sometimes  be  banished  by  a  wise  assertion  of  Will. 
The  soul  should  intensely  insist  that  itself  is  master. 
Conditions  underlying  the  images  or  sounds  should  be 
thoroughly  investigated.  These  may  be  physical,  requir- 
ing rest  and  change  of  scene  and  diet  for  correction.  Or 
they  may  be  mental,  in  which  case  the  same  course  may 
be  pursued,  with  a  complete  variation  of  interest,  this 
being  found  in  matters  far  out  of  the  ordinary  habits  of 
life. 

Exercise  No.  4.  In  other  cases  the  main  thing  is  to 
get  control  of  the  hallucination.  If  it  appear  under  cer- 
tain conditions,  compel  it  to  appear  under  other  con- 
ditions. Persist  in  substituting  a  different  image  or  sound. 
Then  compel  it  to  vanish  at  will.  Finally  dismiss  it. 


256        Some  Diseases  of  the  Imagination. 

These  directions  are  more  easily  given  than  followed,  to 
be  sure ;  but  the  truth  is  that  many  of  our  ills  are  due  to 
a  weak  and  fickle  Will,  and  this  may  be  strengthened  and 
trained  by  wise  application  to  the  difficulties  suggested. 

These  pages  do  not  offer  a  substitute  for  medical  treat- 
ment. They  are  designed  merely  for  ills  of  a  light  and  tem- 
porary form.  When  difficulties  become  more  than  foolishness 
of  fickle  fancy  >  the  science  of  experts  is  called  for. 

Exercise  No.  j.  There  are  spirits  which  do  not 
manifest  to  the  eye,  yet  are  terrible  in  power.  Their 
arena  is  the  heart.  These  are  the  spirits  of  fear.  And 
these  also  may  be  banished  by  the  resolute  Will.  It  is 
first  necessary  to  be  an  honest  person.  The  honest  soul 
need  fear  nothing.  But  the  honest  soul  is  not  always 
wise,  and  fears  do  haunt  the  life  of  such ;  fear  of  man, 
fear  of  ill-luck,  fear  of  failure,  fear  of  misfortune,  fear  of 
death,  fear  of  hell,  fear  of  God.  The  name  of  fear  is 
legion.  It  is,  therefore,  not  probable  that  one  who  has 
been  terrorized  by  these  devils  may  banish  them  instantly, 
bag  and  baggage,  once  and  for  all ;  but  it  is  as  true  as 
life  that  the  honest  soul  may  in  time,  by  the  persistent 
Will,  cast  them  forth  forever. 

You  fear  men  whom  you  suppose  to  be  above  you. 
Proceed,  now,  to  build  up  a  perfectly  honest  life;  then 
meet  them  at  every  opportunity ;  learn  their  weaknesses 
as  well  as  their  virtues  ;  will  incessantly  to  fear  them  no 
more.  Remember,  especially,  that  there  are  other  people 
who,  with  equal  foolishness,  fear  yourself,  and  that  those 
whom  you  fear  are  very  likely  troubled  with  fears  in  turn 
for  others  superior  in  their  thought  to  themselves.  And 
possibly  they  fear  you  as  well.  It  was  Grant's  belief  that 
the  enemy  was  as  much  afraid  as  himself;  he  would 
therefore  strike  first.  If,  with  a  politic  understanding  of 


Live  in  the   Open  of  Right    Vision.      257 

the  word  "  strike,"  you  can  learn  to  plunge  into  the  feared 
atmosphere  of  those  you  fear,  you  will  certainly  in  time 
banish  this  imaginary  evil. 

Similarly  with  fear  of  ill-luck.  This  is  superstition. 
The  remedy  is  intelligence  —  as  above.  There  are  few 
failures  with  the  honest  soul  and  the  persistent  Will. 
Failure  in  the  life  of  such  a  one  is  made  admonition  of 
experience  and  lesson  for  the  future.  Fear  of  misfortune 
is  a  coward's  attitude.  No  misfortune  ever  befell  an 
honest  heart  which  might  not  be  transformed  into  a  bless- 
ing. Fear  of  death  is  anticipation  of  an  experience  which 
will  or  may  bring  its  own  antidote.  If  thou  art  right,  fear 
not  now,  for  thou  wilt  not  then.  Nature  cares  for  the 
upright  in  that  supreme  hour.  Fear  of  hell  is  either  a 
ghost  of  theological  making,  or  a  most  salutary  and  truth- 
ful incentive  to  climb  out  of  hell's  conditions.  So  long 
as  you  are  out  of  hell  now,  fear  nothing.  If  there  is  any 
danger  of  hell  to-morrow,  it  is  the  prophecy  of  hell  to-day. 
Fear  of  God  dishonors  Deity  if  it  is  fear  of  His  law,  His 
way,  His  goodness.  The  honest  soul  fears — stands  in 
awe  and  reverence  before  —  the  Infinite.  You  need  have 
no  other  fear  if  you  come  into  harmony  with  His  law. 

It  is  in  the  power  of  mind  to  banish  all  irrational 
fears  clean  out  of  court.  With  a  normal  mind  and  a  reso- 
lute Will,  all  these  illusions  of  the  imagination  may  be 
destroyed.  Cultivate  the  sane  and  resolute  mood. 

For  further  study  of  the  subject  you  are  referred  to 
the  author's  work,  "  The  Culture  of  Courage." 

RESOLVE  TO  WILL  FOR  MENTAL  BAL- 
ANCE. ATTENTION  1 


"The  other  day"  said  Cyrus  W.  Field,  at  a  banquet 
given  in  his  honor  in  New  York  on  the  completion  of  the 
laying  of  the  Atlantic  Cable,  "Mr.  Lattimer  Clark  telegraphed 
from  Ireland,  across  the  ocean  and  back  again,  WITH  A  BAT- 
TERY FORMED  IN  A  LADY'S  THIMBLE  !  And  now  Mr.  Collett 
writes  me  from  Hearfs  Content ;  '/  have  just  sent  my  com- 
pliments to  Dr.  Gould,  of  Cambridge,  who  is  at  Valentia,  with 
a  battery  composed  of  a  gun-cap,  with  a  strip  of  zinc,  EXCITED 

BY    A  DROP  OF     WATER,    THE     SIMPLE     BULK     OF  A   TEAR.'  " 

That  gun-cap  battery  is  the  human    IVill — for  compressed 
energy  the  wonder  of  the  universe. 


PART  IV.  — DESTRUCTION  OF  HABIT. 


"WE  LIVE   BY  SACRIFICE   ALONE.' 


All  things  that  toward  the  heavens  grow, 
In  the  huge  struggle  earth  maintains, 
Are  clutched  by  power  that  restrains, 

As  waves  by  ocean's  undertow. 
Yet  ever  higher  life  remains, 

Or  forms  decay  or  death  makes  moan  : 
We  mark  our  way  by  crimson  stains  — 

We  live  by  sacrifice  alone. 

Betimes  high  life  must  feed  the  low; 

Betimes  the  high  by  lower  gains. 

The  gnawing  mystery  ordains 
Its  cycle  of  existence  so. 

And  well  for  him  who  self  constrains 
The  lesser  powers  to  dethrone : 

For  thus  the  One  Ideal  reigns  — 
We  live  by  sacrifice  alone. 

The  kingdom  of  the  soul  comes  slow. 

O,  long  its  battles,  deep  its  pains; 

And  weak  Inertia  loud  complains 
That  life  a  rugged  way  must  go, 

Fooled  by  the  lie,  l'The  struggle  drains/" 
The  struggle  makes  thy  self  thine  own  ! 

Builds  thee  man-high,  ne'er  saps  thy  veins, 
We  live  by  sacrifice  alone. 


Life  alway  evil's  drama  feigns^ 
Yet  shall  its  crowns  all  loss  atone. 

The  king  his  conquered  foes  disdains  — 
We  live  by  sacrifice  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
DESTRUCTION  OF  IMMORAL  HABITS. 

|UT  if  having  been  once  defeated,  thou  shalt 
say,  The  next  time  I  will  conquer ;  and  then 
the  same  thing  over  again,  be  sure  that  in  the 
end  thou  wilt  be  brought  to  such  a  sorry  and  feeble  state 
that  henceforth  thou  wilt  not  so  much  as  knojv  that  thou 
art  sinning  ;  but  thou  wilt  begin  to  make  excuses  for  the 
thing,  and  then  confirm  that  saying  of  Hesiod  to  be  true : 
4  With  ills  unending  strives  the  putter-off.' " 

—  Epictetus, 
PRELIMINARY. 

Francis  Bacon  said  :  "A  man's  nature  runs  either  to 
herbs  or  weeds ;  therefore  let  him  seasonably  water  the 
one,  and  destroy  the  other."  The  first  part  of  this  advice 
we  have  striven  in  preceding  chapters  to  follow  ;  destroy- 
ing weeds  of  a  harmful  character  is  to  be  the  business  of 
the  present. 

A  large  portion  of  our  life  represents  habit.  This 
is  not  necessarily  an  evil ;  indeed,  the  establishment  of 
habituated  action  is  indispensable  to  intelligent  existence. 
But  the  word  "  habit  "  often  signifies  fixed  tendencies  to 
action,  either  physical  or  mental,  which  are  injurious,  or 
foolish  or  morally  wrong.  As  the  great  factor  in  the  for- 
mation of  all  habits  is  repetition  continued  until  attention 
is  not  required,  the  repeated  assault  of  the  Will  directed 
by  keenest  attention  and  governed  by  desire  until  the 


262          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

fixed  tendency  is  overcome,  seems  to  be  the  only  method 
for  rooting  out  these  obnoxious  weeds  of  body  and  soul. 
A  strong  Will  can  master  many  habits  at  once,  if  the  man 
genuinely  desires  that  this  be  done.  A  continued  effort 
to  destroy  evil  habits  must  develop  the  Will.  But  this 
effort  supposes  conflicting  desires  or  impulses  —  those 
running  to  the  habit,  and  those  opposing  it.  Hence  the 
value  of  mental  culture,  and  especially  of  strength  of 
memory,  imagination  and  Will,  in  order  that  the  conflict 
may  be  made  to  turn  in  the  right  direction. 

The  first  difficulty  is  a  general  want  of  self-control ;  a 
second  is  a  faint  or  fickle  perception  of  motives  and  conse- 
quences ;  a  third  is  a  bad  memory  of  an  evil  past ;  a  last  is 
the  weak  desire  for  cure. 

To  overcome  habits,  then,  one  must  bring  his  entire 
attention  to  the  matter,  must  think  intensely  of  the  mo- 
tives and  outcomes  involved,  and  must  resolve  to  do  all 
things  necessary  to  turn  the  mind  away  from  habit  toward 
freedom.  We  affirm  that  we  resolve  ;  yet  perhaps  no 
resolution  has  really  arisen  in  the  mind.  In  a  time  of 
great  sorrow,  or  of  extreme  excitement  of  pleasure,  or  of 
intense  anger  or  disgust  with  self,  or  of  fear  of  results, 
resolve  sometimes  is  so  deeply  cut  into  the  soul  that  it 
has  opportunity  to  discover  its  ability  to  perform  and  to 
suffer,  and  to  become  habituated  a  little  to  the  necessary 
discomfort  of  self-denial,  and  so  to  take  a  new  hold  by 
Will  for  a  more  persistent  effort.  By  this  time  the  "  force 
of  habit  "  and  the  test  of  continuance  have  become  slightly 
less,  while  the  power  of  Will  has  correspondingly  grown. 
Perseverance  now  is  sure  prophet  of  reward. 

//  is  a  law,  probably,  that  as  much  Will-power  must 
be  consciously  expended  in  curing  a  habit,  as  unconsciously 
has  been  employed  in  acquiring  it. 

The  entire  matter  may  be  summed  up  in  one  word : 


Resolve,  and  Thou  art  Free.  263 

All  evil  habits  may  be  destroyed  by  the  man  who  really 
DESIRES  to  master  them. 

Mark  Twain  declared  to  his  physician,  who  had  ac- 
cused him  of  using  tobacco  and  coffee  immoderately,  to- 
gether with  tea  and  indigestible  food  and  hot  Scotches 
every  night :  "  I  can't  make  a  reduction  in  these  things 
because  I  lack  the  Will-power.  I  can  cut  them  off  entire- 
ly, but  I  can't  merely  modify  them."  His  idea,  to  be 
taken  seriously  because  it  is  fundamental  good  sense,  is 
that  the  cure  of  bad  habits  is  to  be  effected  by  destruction 
of  desire  for  their  indulgence.  "The  desire  of  course 
precedes  the  act,  and  should  have  one's  attention ;  it  can 
do  but  little  good  to  refuse  the  act  over  and  over  again, 
always  leaving  the  desire  unmolested,  unconquered  ;  the 
desire  will  continue  to  assert  itself,  and  will  be  almost 
sure  to  win  in  the  long  run.  When  the  desire  intrudes, 
it  should  be  at  once  banished  out  of  the  mind.  One 
should  be  on  the  watch  for  it  all  the  time  —  otherwise  it 
will  get  in.  It  must  be  taken  in  time  and  not  allowed 
to  get  a  lodgment.  A  desire  constantly  repulsed  for  a 
fortnight  should  die,  then.  The  system  of  refusing  the 
mere  act,  and  leaving  the  desire  in  full  force,  is  unintelli- 
gent war  tactics,  it  seems  to  me." 

Or,  to  put  the  matter  in  another  way,  the  cure  of 
habit  depends  upon  keeping  the  right  idea  before  the 
mind  —  either  that  of  the  goal  or  that  of  the  consequence 
of  yielding. 

"  The  strong-willed  man  is  the  man  who  hears  the 
still  small  voice  unflinchingly,"  says  Professor  James, 
"  and  who,  when  the  death-bringing  consideration  comes, 
looks  at  its  face,  consents  to  its  presence  (he  is  speaking 
of  the  cold  consideration  of  reason),  clings  to  it,  affirms 
it,  and  holds  it  fast,  in  spite  of  the  host  of  exciting  mem- 
tal  images  which  rise  in  revolt  against  it  and  would  expel 


264          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

it  from  the  mind.  Sustained  in  this  way  by  a  resolute 
effort  of  attention,  the  difficult  object  ere  long  begins  to 
call  up  its  own  congeries  and  associates  and  ends  by 
changing  the  disposition  of  the  man's  consciousness  alto- 
gether." 

"  Everywhere,  then,  the  function  of  the  effort  is  the 
same ;  to  keep  affirming  and  adopting  a  thought  which, 
if  left  to  itself,  would  slip  away.  It  may  be  cold  and  flat 
when  the  spontaneous  mental  drift  is  toward  excitement, 
or  great  and  arduous  when  the  spontaneous  drift  is  to- 
ward repose.  In  the  one  case  the  effort  has  to  inhibit  an 
explosion,  in  the  other  to  arouse  an  obstructed  Will." 

Nevertheless,  the  function  of  the  Will  lies  under- 
neath the  desire ;  to  keep  desire  for  indulgence  out,  and 
to  make  desire  for  freedom  stronger.  The  latter  is  the 
work  of  right-mindedness,  the  former  of  a  determined 
Will.  After  all,  then,  people  are  slaves  to  habit  simply 
because  they  consent  to  be  slaves. 

"Moral  action  is  action  in  the  line  of  the  greatest  re- 
sistance." 

Before  going  to  the  following  pages,  therefore,  it  will 
be  well  to  decide  definitely  that  you  honestly  wish  to 
eliminate  the  evils  mentioned.  You  have  sought  a  strong 
Will.  For  what  purpose,  if  you  must  yet  remain  a  slave  ? 
Let  the  motto  of  all  previous  exercises  now  be  firmly  held 
in  mind :  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL  1  ATTENTION  1  I 

PROFANITY. 

This  is  a  mark  of  low  breeding.  In  the  long  run  the 
best  breeding  comes  up  from  plebeian  blood  and  common 
surroundings.  It  is  the  specialization  of  ordinary  ma- 
terials. You  can  contribute  better  than  yourself  to  the 
fruit  of  your  loins.  Here  is  the  golden  faith  of  true 
Americanism, 


Resolve,  and  Thou  art  Free.  265 

Profanity  is  useless ;  it  ruins  spoken  language ;  it 
causes  trouble ;  it  is  undignified  ;  it  is  immoral.  There- 
fore, away  with  it ! 

Regimes,  i.  Think  the  whole  matter  over,  and  set 
out  to  become  a  gentleman.  Resolve  to  stop,  now  and 
forever.  Keep  the  thought  in  mind ;  the  profane  man  is 
a  fool.  When  you  slip  again  into  the  habit,  do  not  pass 
the  fault  lightly,  but  reprove  yourself  severely.  Resolve 
with  increased  fury  of  Will  to  banish  the  evil. 

2.  Imagine  the  best  woman  you  have  ever  known  to 
be  present,  and  then  make  your  apologies  to  her  offended 
dignity. 

3.  If  you  feel  that  you  must  indulge,  proceed  with 
the  foolishness  of  counting  twenty-five,  slowly  and  vicious- 
ly because   of  your   dish-water   weakness ;  do  n't   think 
"  swear ;  "  think  twenty-five. 

4.  If  you  are  very  weak  in  this  respect,  substitute  at 
first  a  code  of  jargon  for  your  profanity  ;  when  this  habit 
is  formed,  break  it  according  to  the  above  instructions. 
You  can  now  do  this  for  the  reason  that  you  have  shown 
successful  Will  in  one  direction,  and  there  are  no  words 
quite  so  satisfactory  to  a  profane  person  as  those  which 
you  have  ceased  to  use. 

5.  Meanwhile,  write  out  a  complete  list  of  all  the 
profanity  you  are  in  the  habit  of  using.     Carry  it  about 
with  you.     Frequently   read   it,  take  in  its  significance, 
understand  its  utter  folly.     At  every  reading,  resolve  to 
rid  your  vocabulary  of  every  word.     Ten  days  ought  to 
cure  this  habit  for  all  time. 

EXAGGERATION. 

A  good  deal  of  downright  lying  is  due  to  a  bent  for 
exaggeration.  A  lively  imagination  and  a  vivacious  tem- 
perament may  easily  induce  enlarged  or  colored  statements 


266          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

without  intention  to  deceive.  This  fault  become  a  habit, 
the  liar  is  born,  unconscious  of  his  talents.  The  intended 
lie  is  probably  a  rarity.  Oftentimes  people  state  as  facts 
what  are  merely  conclusions  from  their  own  impressions. 
This  is  especially  apt  to  be  the  case  when  themselves  are 
involved.  They  do  not  intend  to  utter  falsehoods  ;  they 
do  not  assert  what  they  consciously  know  to  be  untrue  ; 
but  they  do  assert  what  they  do  not  surely  know  to  be  the 
fact.  When  a  man  states  a  thing  or  truth  as  fact,  it  is  his 
business  to  know  that  it  is  certainly  not  false.  We  gather 
from  the  facts  which  we  do  know  conclusions  which  we 
think  must  be  true.  Then  we  proclaim  our  conclusions 
as  realities.  We  do  'not  take  the  trouble  to  tell  merely 
what  we  surely  know  —  that  is,  facts;  but  we  proceed 
across  lots,  because  it  is  easier,  and  we  rather  like  that 
way,  to  assert  our  opinions  as  bald  actualities.  Here  we 
have  the  heart  of  lying  —  carelessness  as  to  exact  truth. 
Few  people  relate  ordinary  matters  with  naked  veracity. 
"  The  thing  was  so  and  so."  "  He  said."  "  I  said." 
Etc.,  etc.  He  did  not  say  exactly  that,  but  just  a  trifle 
less.  You  did  not  say  exactly  that,  but  just  a  trifle  more. 
The  thing  was  not  absolutely  so  and  so,  but  just  a  trifle 
different.  All  this  you  know  well  enough ;  but  you  desire 
to  be  interesting,  and,  before  you  are  aware  of  it,  you  are 
carried  along  in  the  zest  of  anecdote.  And  you  are  con- 
scious of  this  fact,  but  you  thrust  the  feeling  into  the 
background  and  go  on  with  "  picturesque  speech."  In 
plain  English,  you  are  next  thing  to  a  liar. 

Regimes.  I.  A  partial  remedy  will  be  suggested  un- 
der the  habit  "Garrulousness."  The  man  who  strips  his 
statements  to  the  fewest  possible  words  is  not  often  an 
exaggerator,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  is  seldom  a 
liar.  You  should  therefore  cultivate  abbreviated  speech, 


Resolve,  and  Thou  art  Free.  267 

however  much  patience  and  practice  may  be  required. 
It  might  do  you  a  deal  of  good  to  conclude,  and  to  say 
softly  to  yourself  a  hundred  times  a  day  for  a  month :  "I 
am  a  liar !  I  am  a  liar  1 "  Confessing  this,  the  next 
story  you  tell  will  not  be  so  funny  —  the  humorist  who 
sticks  to  absolute  truth  is  a  laughing  grave-yard  —  but 
you  will  become  a  great  deal  "  longer  "  on  veracity. 

2.  Then   you  should  thoroughly  free  yourself  from 
the  fog  of  impressions.     Imagine  your  mind  to  be  a  judge 
and  your  tongue  to  be  a  witness.     The  witness  must  con- 
fine himself  to  facts  —  to  what  he  has  seen  and  heard, 
not  what  he  has  believed  about  these  matters.     Example  : 
The  tongue  testifies  — "  The  man  was  running  down  the 
street.     He   had   a   toothache."     "  Was   he   really   run- 
ning ?  "     "  Well,  no  ;  he  was  walking  rapidly,  almost  in  a 
run."     Now,  why  didn't  you  say  exactly  that  ?     Because 
you    wanted  your  incident  to  be  lively.     "  How  do  you 
know  that  the  man  had  a  toothache  ?  "     "  Why,  he  had 
his  hand  on  his  face,  and  his  expression  was  distorted." 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  man  had  bitten  his  tongue,  and 
his  look  merely  indicated  that  he  had  discovered  that  this 
member  was  not  designed  for  mastication.     It  was  just 
the  regular  statutory  grimace.     But  you  jumped  to  the 
conclusion  that  his  tooth  was  making  chaos  of  his  peace 
of  mind,  and  hence  his  appearance  was  "  awful."     Thus 
you  proceeded  to  think,  not  what  you  saw,  but  your  im- 
pression.    You  have  related  an  inference  for  facts.     It  is 
necessary,  therefore,  that  you  should  desperately  resolve 
never  to  relate  as  truth  what  you  do  not  positively  know 
to  be  naked  fact.     This  resolution  must  be  sunk  into  the 
marrow  of  your  soul,  and  held  in  mind  continuously  for 
months. 

3.  You  should  discard  your  paint-pot.     Your  fancy 
idealizes  or  heightens  all  colors.     A  good  honest  blush  is 


a68          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

"as  red  as  fire."  A  pleasant  smile  is  "a  yellow  grin." 
"The  shade  of  thought"  is  "bluer  than  a  whetstone." 
A  sparkling  laugh  is  "  a  lightning  glare  of  hilarity." 
Now,  you  must  learn  to  see  things  as  they  are,  and  to  tell 
tkem  as  you  really  see  them.  You  are  telling  a  story, 
and  in  it  yourself  and  a  few  other  people  are  made  to  say 
a  dozen  things  which  you  know  were  never  said.  You 
paint  their  language  in  colors  that  are  too  high.  If  you 
are  not  past  redemption,  you  were  aware  of  this  fact. 
During  the  entire  recital  an  inner  god  is  whispering, 
"  No,  no  ;  that  is  not  correct !  Tone  it  down  I  Speak 
the  truth  I  "  But  your  rush  of  speech  and  interest  are 
like  lively  fire-works,  and  everything  is  doubled  and  exag- 
gerated. You  continue  to  dash  on  the  paint  until  at  last 
the  sober  inner  Truth-teller  actually  joins  in  the  laugh,  at 
the  shock.  After  a  little  he  rises  up  and  shouts :  "  You 
are  a  liar  1  A  liar ! "  At  the  end,  he  dies  a  perfectly 
•atural  death. 

In  order  to  overcome  this  habit,  you  should  first  use 
your  senses,  to  know  things  just  as  they  exist  and  occur. 
And  you  must  practise  daily,  until  it  becomes  a  habit,  the 
art  of  telling  facts  as  nakedly  as  possible.  For  example  : 
recall  some  incident  of  yesterday,  and  proceed  to  narrate 
it,  coldly  and  slowly,  in  the  fewest  words,  and  with  abso- 
lutely no  exaggeration.  Meanwhile,  resolve,  and  state 
your  resolution  aloud,  in  the  briefest  and  coldest  manner : 

I  will  henceforth  reject  impressions  and  all  adjective 
coloring,  and  confine  myself  entirely  to  actual  facts."  To 
bring  this  about,  you  must  determine,  and  begin  now,  to 
employ  no  adjective  word  if  you  can  make  sense  without 
it,  and  when  the  adjective  must  appear,  to  use  the  weakest 
of  its  kind.  In  reality,  that  word  will  be  the  very  best, 
though  at  first  it  may  look  like  a  featherless  bird.  The 
bird  will  in  time  get  all  the  feathers  required,  and  a  "  per- 


Resolve,  and  Thou  art  Free.  269 

fectly  wonderful  liar  "  will  have  become  a  man  of  plain  but 
reliable  speech,  a  comfort  to  himself  and  a  support  of 
"  English  with  a  moral  quality." 

IRRITABILITY  AND  ANGER. 

Irritation  is  the  germ  of  anger.  There  are  those, 
however,  who  become  irritable  without  explosions  of 
wrath.  Very  likely  their  difficulty  is  physical.  A  set  of 
unstrung  nerves  is  often  the  result  of  wrong-doing,  but 
nevertheless  demands  the  sympathy  of  the  possessors  of 
good  health.  Weak  and  disordered  nerves  are  a  misfor- 
tune, whatever  their  cause,  and  should  be  so  treated. 

Regimes,  \ .  The  cure  in  such  a  case  would  seem  to  be 
rest  and  treatment  by  medical  specialists  of  unquestioned 
standing.  Yet  here  also  the  Will  may  find  its  opportunity. 
It  can  do  little  without  scientific  assistance,  but,  thus  aid- 
ed, it  may  and  does  accomplish  much.  If  the  sick  may 
wisely  be  exhorted  to  a  resolute  fight,  much  more  those 
who  are  irritable  because  of  a  "  touchy  "  and  fault-finding 
disposition.  With  reasonably  well  people  irritability  and 
anger  are  inexcusable.  You  may  thrust  these  devils  out 
of  your  life  if  you  honestly  desire  to  do  so.  In  most  cases 
this  may  be  done  by  a  sheer  exercise  of  Will.  Certainly 
with  a  little  artificial  assistance  the  task  is  sure  to  end  in 
success. 

2.  "  Refuse  to  express  a  passion  and  it  dies.     Count 
ten  before  venting   your  anger,  and  its  occasion  seems 
ridiculous." 

3.  But  you  must  stop  violating  physical  law,  and  re- 
solve to  live  according  to  the  dictates  of  a  sound  judg- 
ment.    The    suggestions    of    the  chapter  on  "  General 
Health  "  should  be  observed. 

4.  Cultivate  a  cheerful  state  of  mind.     You  can  do 
this  if  you  will.     Entertain  only  pleasing  and  elevating 


270          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

views  and  feelings ;  all  others  you  must  resolutely  forego. 
Do  n't  be  foolish  and  brood  over  wrongs  and  unpleasant 
conditions,  whether  fancied  or  real. 

5.  Don't  worry.  Whenever  you  are  tempted  to  do 
so,  play  the  buffoon,  or  recall  the  funniest  story  you  know. 
You  will  be  out  of  the  mood,  but  it  can  be  forced.  Bury 
yourself  in  humor ;  laugh  ;  assert  your  Will ;  shout  to 
your  soul :  "  I  will  not  worry  1 " 

"  If  you  sit  all  day  in  a  moping  posture,"  remarks 
Professor  James,  "sigh  and  reply  to  everything  with  a 
dismal  voice,  your  melancholy  lingers.  If  we  wish  to  con- 
quer undesirable  emotional  tendencies  in  ourselves,  we 
must  assiduously,  and  in  the  first  instance  cold-bloodedly, 
go  through  the  outward  motions  of  those  contrary  dis- 
positions we  prefer  to  cultivate.  The  reward  of  persist- 
ency will  infallibly  come,  in  the  fading  out  of  the  sullen- 
ness  or  depression  and  the  advent  of  real  cheerfulness 
and  kindliness  in  their  stead." 

In  plain,  untechnical  language,  Dr.  Geo.  W.  Jacoby 
has  said,  "  Worry  works  its  irreparable  injury  through  cer- 
tain cells  of  the  brain,  and  that  delicate  mechanism  being 
the  nutritive  centre  of  the  body,  the  other  organs  become 
gradually  affected.  Thus,  some  disease  of  these  organs  or 
a  combination  of  organic  maladies  arising,  death  finally 
ensues. 

"  Scientifically,  but  little  is  known  about  those  subtle 
senses — perception,  thought,  judgment  and  reason  — 
except  that  they  are  closeted  behind  the  frontal  bones, 
and  that  it  is  here  the  Will-power  is  generated  to  be  com- 
municated to  every  other  part  of  the  body.  The  cells 
located  here,  some  of  them  in  constant  service,  others 
acting  only  now  and  then,  are  the  most  important  in  the 
brain.  They  are  the  mental  citadel,  and  it  is  here  the 
awful  malady  we  call  worry  makes  its  first  deadly  assault 


Resolve )  and  Thou  art  Free.  271 

"  Considered  as  a  disease,  worry,  when  it  does  not 
kill  outright,  frequently  injures  to  the  extent  of  inducing 
sickness,  physical  discomfort  and  the  inclination  to  seek 
relief  in  suicide.  It  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  worst  of  ills 
to  which  the  mind  is  heir. 

"  The  remedy  for  the  evil  lies  in  the  training  of  the 
Will  to  cast  off  cares  and  seek  a  change  of  occupation  when 
the  first  warning  is  sounded  by  Nature  in  intellectual  lassi- 
tude and  disinterestedness  in  life.  Relaxation  is  the  cer- 
tain foe  of  worry,  and  'do  n't  fret '  one  of  the  healthiest  of 
maxims''1 

6.  You  should  resolve  to  discover  some  good,  some 
bright  side,  some  pleasing  element,  in  everything  and  in 
every  situation.      You  must  make  this  a  real  pursuit  of  your 
soul. 

7.  You   should   keep   before   your  thought,  in  re- 
lation to  all  those  with  whom  you  come  in  contact,  their 
virtues   and    excellence.     Cultivate   that   charity    which 
thinks  no  ill. 

8.  You  should  read  only  that  which  is  agreeable  and 
useful.     Shun  the  blue  book,  the  yellow  journal,  tainted 
fiction,  and  all  that  is  skeptical  toward  the  wonder  and 
glory  of  life. 

9.  So  far  as  feelings  are  concerned,  live  only  in  the 
present     The  past  is  done  for ;  it  is  not  half  so  bad  as 
you  suppose.     Verify  this  by  recalling  its  pleasures  and 
successes  alone,  resolutely  ignoring  its  sadness  and  fail- 
ures.   Live  in  the  present  of  a  sunny  mood.    Anticipate  noth- 
ing but  good  in   the  future.      Burn  all  doleful   prophe- 
cies ;  they  are  lies.     Some  evil  must  befall  you,  but  those 
about  which  you  are  certain  will  never  "  come  true." 

10.  Companion  with  cheerful  thoughts  and  people 
exclusively.     Why  be  friendly  with  those  who  are  miser- 
able for  the  sake  of  their  deadly  comfort  ?     Let  the  dead 


272          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

bury  their  dead.  This  does  not  contradict  the  law  of 
kindness.  If  your  motive  is  their  good,  you  are  then 
armed  against  contagion. 

11.  On  the  morning  of  each  day,  find  some  pleasant 
or  inspiring  thought,  blaze  it  deeply  into  your  mind,  and 
cling  to  it  during  the  hours.     Do  not  let  it  escape  you 
a  moment.     Repeat   it  when  irritable.     Repeat  it  when 
tempted  to  anger.     Repeat  it  as  you  perceive  the  shadows 
of  melancholy   stealing  over  your  soul.     Invest  it  with 
magical  power.     Constitute  it  an  amulet  or  charm. 

12.  Preserve  a  daily  record  of  instances  in  which 
you  have  shown  irritability  or  anger  or  melancholy.     Be 
exact  in  this  ;  let  it  be  faithful  and  honest  personal  history. 
At  the  close  of  each  day,  write  it ;  then  read  it ;  then  re- 
solve to  improve.     At  intervals  review  that  record,  and 
note  progress.     State  the  fact  in  your  diary,  and  remember 
it  for  encouragement.     Continue  until  you  are  master. 

13.  On  no  provocation  permit  yourself  to  fall  into 
melancholy,  or  to  show  irritation  or  anger,  in  company 
with    another    person.     Never   forget   your  self-respect. 
You   must   remember   that   man    is  entitled  to  be  happy, 
People  and  things  about  you  are  irritating  and  depressing, 
no  doubt ;  but  observe  this  fact,  that  many  with  whom 
you   become   angry  will  merely  exult  in  your  downfall, 
deriving  unworthy  pleasure  from  your  weakness.     Why 
should  you  contribute  to  such  enjoyment  while  rendering 
yourself  miserable?     Why   make   distress   for   yourself, 
whatever  other  people  may  do  ?     Here  is  a  kind  of  living 
suicide.     Resolve   to  be  happy.     You  are  not  so  when 
irritated,  and  you  simply  give  the  unkind  an  unnecessary 
advantage.     Your  melancholy  may  be  the  sole  source  of 
enjoyment   for  some   people   who  protest,  nevertheless, 
that  you  are  causing  them  misery ;  why  should  you  play 
such  a  fool's  part  ? 


Resolve,  and  Thou  art  Free.  273 

14.  Don't  try  to  be  a  martyr!     Don't  assume  the 
role  of  suffering  innocence  1     Do  n't    pity  yourself !     The 
man  who  pities  himself  is  lost.     Don't  nurse  your  nerves  1 
Do  n't  coddle  you  whims  I     Do  n't  "  baby  "  your  sins  1 

15.  Stand  for  your  rights,  control  your  feelings,  in- 
sist on  a  happy  frame  of  mind,  take  frequently  a  moral 
bath  in    honest,  manful   Will-power,  and   live  absolutely 
above  the  feeble-minded  expletive,  the  wretched  sarcasm, 
the  dastardly  fling,  the  cowardly  meanness,  the  cellar  of 
miasmatic   brooding   and   the    psycho-physical  poison  of 
anger  I 

Brooding  o'er  ills,  the  irritable  soul 

Creates  the  evils  feared  and  hugs  its  pain. — 
See  thou  some  good  in  every  somber  whole, 
And,  viewing  excellence,  forget  life's  dole 
In  will  the  last  sweet  drop  of  joy  to  drain. 

EVIL  IMAGINATIONS. 

Opposed  to  purity,  to  cleanliness,  to  personal  dignity, 
to  moral  vigor,  to  health  of  body  and  soul,  this  habit  has 
its  roots  in  a  degraded  tone  of  mind. 

Two  things  are  therefore  observable  :  desire  for  evil, 
and  a  want  of  proper  mental  occupation.  The  desire  can 
be  mastered  by  improvement  in  health,  and  by  substitution 
of  worthy  thought  in  the  mind. 

Regimes,  i.  The  first  general  treatment  must  be 
physical.  Nerves  which  are  out  of  tone,  must  be  brought 
back  to  the  full  condition  of  health  by  the  varied  activities 
of  inspiring  interests.  You  must  co-operate  by  putting 
yourself  in  a  healthful  regime  of  daily  living,  (a)  You 
must  live  regularly,  as  far  as  possible,  (b)  You  must  bring 
yourself  to  a  plain  and  simple  diet,  avoiding  alcohol  in 
every  form,  and,  if  injurious,  tea  and  coffee.  (^)  You 
should  bathe  swiftly  every  day,  rinse  in  clean  and  gradually 


274  Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits.. 

cooling  water,  and  rub  thoroughly  with  coarse  towels  until 
you  are  perfectly  dry  and  all  aglow.  (d~)  Your  thought 
should  immediately  be  taken  up  with  rugged,  active  affairs. 
(e)  You  should  resolutely  compel  yourself  to  engage  in 
systematic,  but  not  violent,  exercise.  (/)  You  should  ab- 
solutely shun  every  luxury  of  an  enervating  nature,  (g) 
Your  amusements  should  be  entirely  free  from  any  un- 
worthy excitement.  (^)  You  must  cultivate  an  ideal  of 
womanhood  as  an  ever-present  portrait  in  the  gallery  of 
thought  —  innocent,  dignified,  saintly. 

2.  On  occasion,  recite  heroic  poetry  or  exalted  prose, 
which  you  have  learned  for  the  purpose.     Or  recall  some 
stirring  event  in  your  own  life,  or  some  humorous  incident, 
driving  the  soul  into  healthful  moods. 

3.  You  should  make  it  your  business  to  occupy  the 
mind  with  plans,  ideas,  trains  of  reasoning,  which  are  prac- 
tical, noble  and  profoundly  interesting.     It  may  be  well  to 
take  up  some  problem  of  real  life  as  a  daily  subject  of 
thought,  to  assail  it  with  questions,  to  analyze  its  difficul- 
ties, to  discover  its  relations,  to  bore  steadfastly  into  it, 
until  you  have  arrived  at  a  solution  which  seems  to  be 
reasonable  or  satisfactory.     Then  go  into  another  subject 
and  treat  it  in  the  same  manner. 

4.  Whenever  an  unworthy  thought  occurs  to   you, 
thrust  it  aside  and  replace  it  by  a  better. 

5.  Remember,  you  are  to  fight  this  evil  indirectly, 
never  directly.     So  long  as  your  mind  is  upon  it  to  destroy 
it,  it  still  remains.     Therefore  make  your  main  fight  by 
occupying  the  field  of  thought  with  values  and  nobilities. 

6.  It  is  true  here  as  it  is  with  reference  to  every  other 
habit :     If  you  say,  "  I  cannot,"  you  desire  not  to  conquer. 
Every  habit  is  rooted  in  thoughtlessness  or  desire.     Kill 
the  desire.     Or  better,  reverse  the  desire.     Example :     "  I 
desire  this  or  that  indulgence."     Substitute  for  this,  "  I 


Resolve \  and  Thou  art  Free.  275 

desire  its  opposite  ;  I  desire  the  correlative  good  ;  I  desire 
freedom  1 "  There  is  nothing  which  a  man  cannot  do,  rea- 
sonably speaking,  if  he  actually  and  profoundly  desires  it. 

TOBACCO  AND  LIQUOR  HABIT. 

If  there  is  not  enough  manhood  left  in  you  to  desire 
reform,  you  must  consult  a  physician  or  a  "  cure  ";  and  if 
this  will  avail  nothing,  then,  to  be  sure,  you  must  go  on  as 
a  slave. 

Regime  i.  But  if  your  manhood  is  still  sufficient 
for  these  things,  you  must  waste  no  time  over  these  habits, 
as  such,  or  directly  considered.  You  must  treat  with  de- 
sire, first,  middle,  last  and  directly,  leaving  habit  to  take 
care  of  itself.  Thus,  you  must  banish  desire  for  stimulants 
by  substituting  for  it  desires  of  other  descriptions.  Keep 
the  first  out  of  mind.  Keep  the  latter  forever  in  thought. 

Illustration:  The  Man  Who  Failed.  One  who  visits 
a  "  Keely  Cure  "  and  is  reformed,  falls,  in  a  few  months, 
into  the  old  habit.  It  is  said  his  case  is  hopeless ;  so  it  is, 
but  not  for  anything  in  the  treatment;  the  man  doesn't 
genuinely  desire  freedom.  He  drinks  now  because  he 
desires  indulgence,  or  because  he  does  not  desire  reform. 
His  appetite  is  his  plea ;  but  his  desire  lies  under  his  ap- 
petite. Were  he  confronted  by  a  loaded  rifle,  with  the 
assurance  of  a  court  of  law  that  the  instant  he  drank  this 
first  glass  which  he  holds  to  his  lips  he  would  be  shot  to 
death  like  a  dog,  he  would  defer  the  indulgence  because 
desiring  life  better  than  one  drink.  The  contrary  is  as- 
serted, but  it  is  simply  the  exaggeration  of  deluded  mar- 
tyrdom. 

Illustration  :  The  Man  Who  Won.  A  certain  man 
had  put  drink  in  place  of  wife,  family  and  honor.  Awaken- 
ed in  his  bed,  after  a  prolonged  "  spree,"  with  a  fiery  crav- 


276          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

ing  for  alcohol,  he  abjectly  begged  his  wife  to  fetch  him 
whiskey.  She  coldly  refused.  In  his  torment,  he  prom- 
ised that  if  she  would  grant  this  one  request,  he  would  for- 
ever abjure  the  use  of  drink.  Thereat  she  yielded.  He 
drank  as  a  babe  drinks  milk.  But  he  kept  his  word. 
Here  was  right  desire  harnessed  to  Will.  But  the  wife 
furnished  ready  hot  coffee  every  hour  of  the  day  and  night 
during  months.  Many  men  continue  to  drink  whose  wives 
or  mothers  lack  wit  and  the  power  of  —  simulating  affec- 
tion. Womanly  "  coddling  "  is  a  divine  institution.  A 
reforming  drinker  is  weak  in  nerves  and  a  baby  in  soul ; 
let  his  womanfolk  pour  wrath  upon  drink  and  nurse  the 
man  for  what  he  is  —  a  hero  with  no  legs  to  stand  on. 

Illustration  :  The  Man  Who  Tried  Again.  A  young 
man  discovered  the  alternative :  drink  and  a  perfect  mix- 
ture of  ruin  and  disgrace,  or  total  abstinence  with  large 
success.  He  got  into  his  soul,  first  of  all,  a  mighty  desire 
for  freedom,  and  then  a  great  determination  to  suffer ;  he 
could  suffer  if  he  could  not  stop  the  use  of  alcohol.  He 
went  into  the  battle  —  and  fell.  He  sobered,  got  a  new 
desire  for  reform,  and  went  into  the  fight  once  again.  He 
suffered  torments  beyond  description.  His  body  was  an 
armed  enemy.  His  nervous  system  massed  itself  upon 
lis  resolution  with  persistent  assaults  which  ceased  not, 
day  or  night,  during  months.  He  received  assistance  from 
no  "  cure  "  and  no  religious  experience,  so  far  as  he  could 
determine.  Hourly  he  held  conversations  with  his  stom- 
ach, saying  to  that  organ  with  clenched  fists  and  shut 
teeth,  "  You  cannot  and  shall  not  have  drink."  He  never 
yielded  the  second  time.  He  triumphed,  of  course.  Here 
was  desire  harnessed  to  Will. 

Illustration:  The  Man  Who  Makes  Excuses.  "How 
many  excuses  does  the  drunkard  find,"  writes  Professor 
James,  like  a  scientific  reformer,  "  when  each  new  temp- 


Resolve,  and  Thou  art  Free.  277 

tation  comes  !  It  is  a  new  brand  of  liquor  which  the  in- 
terests of  intellectual  culture  in  such  matters  oblige  him  to 
test ;  moreover  it  is  poured  out  and  it  is  sin  to  waste  it ; 
or  others  are  drinking  and  it  would  be  churlishness  to  re- 
fuse ;  or  it  is  but  to  enable  him  to  sleep,  or  just  to  get 
through  this  job  of  work  ;  or  it  is  n't  drinking,  it  is  because 
he  feels  so  cold ;  or  it  is  Christmas-day ;  or  it  is  a  means 
of  stimulating  him  to  make  a  more  powerful  resolution  in 
favor  of  abstinence  than  any  he  has  hitherto  made ;  or  it 
is  just  this  once,  and  once  doesn't  count,  etc.,  —  it  is,  in 
fact,  anything  you  like  except  being  a  drunkard.  That  is 
the  conception  that  will  not  stay  before  the  poor  soul's 
attention.  But  if  he  once  gets  able  to  pick  out  that  way 
of  conceiving  from  all  the  other  possible  ways  of  con- 
ceiving the  various  opportunities  which  occur,  if  through 
thick  and  thin  he  holds  to  it  that  this  is  being  a  drunkard 
and  is  nothing  else,  he  is  not  likely  to  remain  one  long." 

Regime  2.  The  drink-habit  is  partly  psychic,  partly 
physical.  In  either  case  the  desire  must  be  displaced  by 
a  stronger  motive.  A  mediaeval  legend  illustrates  this 
law.  The  people  of  Gubio  were  terrorized  by  a  wolf,  and 
Saint  Francis  undertook  to  tame  the  animal.  He  went 
outside  the  walls  of  the  town,  and,  meeting  the  wolf, 
said  to  him :  "  I  wish  to  make  peace  between  you  and 
these  people,  Brother  Wolf,  so  that  you  may  offend  them 
no  more,  and  neither  they  nor  their  dogs  shall  attack  you." 
Then,  as  the  wolf  laid  his  paw  on  the  saint's  hand,  in  token 
of  a  covenant,  he  promised  that  the  animal  should  be  fed 
during  the  rest  of  his  life.  "  For  well  I  know  that  all  your 
evil  deeds  were  caused  by  hunger." 

Regime  3.  If  the  drink-habit  is  caused  by  a  physical 
condition,  it  should  be  counteracted  by  a  regime  of  food 
and  innocent  drink  that  shall  maintain  a  state  of  physical 


2  78          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

satisfaction.  A  full  meal  is  a  sound  foundation  for  a  good 
Will.  If  the  habit  is  the  result  of  a  psychic  desire,  the 
Will  must  be  bolstered  by  a  new  psychic  ideal,  of  any 
character  whatever.  Anything  that  will  introduce  to  the 
soul,  and  maintain  there,  a  suggestion  stronger  than  that 
of  liquor,  will  win  —  and  nothing  less  can  win. 

Hugh  Miller  relates  that  a  man-o'-war  sailor  in  an 
engagement  had  become  so  exhausted  that  he  could 
scarcely  lift  a  marlinspike,  but,  the  enemy  renewing  the 
fight,  "  a  thrill  like  that  of  an  electric  shock  passed  through 
the  frame  of  the  exhausted  sailor ;  his  fatigue  at  once  left 
him ;  and,  vigorous  and  strong  as  when  the  action  first 
began,  he  found  himself  able,  as  before,  to  run  out  the  one 
side  of  a  twenty-four  pounder." 

The  habit-conquering  Will  must  be  fed. 

Regime  4.  Some  physicians  recommend  for  the  to- 
bacco-habit the  incessant  eating  of  peanuts,  inasmuch  as  a 
condition  of  the  stomach  seems  to  be  engendered  by  them 
which  revolts  against  nicotine.  If  you  can  nauseate  a 
man  every  time  he  craves  tobacco  he  will  cease  to  desire 
it.  It  is  said  that  milk  has  the  same  effect  in  some  cases. 
Every  person  long  addicted  to  these  habits  needs  some 
medical  assistance,  because  a  physical  state  is  involved 
which  usually  requires  counteraction.  Having  then,  a 
genuine  desire  to  reform,  follow  the  directions  below  : 

Regime  jr.  Procure  a  tonic  prescription  from  a  phy- 
sician who  understands  your  case.  Eat  heartily  plain 
food,  especially  any  kind  which  does  not  seem  to  agree 
with  tobacco  or  alcohol,  and  keep  forever  in  mind  the  goal 
of  freedom.  Eat  peanuts  or  drink  milk  instead  of  indulg- 
ing your  appetite  in  habit.  Fix  deeply  in  your  soul  the 
conviction  that  the  difficulty  is  not  insuperable,  but  will 
yield  in  time.  This  is  true,  because  the  entire  physical 


Resolve^  and  Thou  art  Free.  279 

system  tends  to  adapt  itself  to  new  conditions.  Continue 
these  reform  conditions  long  enough  and  you  are  a  free 
man. 

Regime  6.  Don't  talk  about  your  effort.  Don't 
dwell  upon  your  suffering.  Keep  yourself  busy,  in  out-of- 
door  activity  as  much  as  possible.  Contrive  to  get  a  great 
amount  of  sound  sleep  every  day.  Take  a  noon  nap  daily. 
Flood  your  stomach  with  pure  water  day  after  day.  If  the 
weather  permits,  perspire  freely.  Put  tobacco  and  liquor 
out  of  sight.  Keep  them  out  of  mind.  When  their 
thought  arises,  banish  the  suggestion  instantly.  As  you 
do  so,  and  in  order  to  do  so,  set  the  mind  upon  other 
matters. 

Regime  7.  Don't  suffer  yourself  to  fall  into  the 
"  dead  stare" — that  unconscious  stand-still  of  mind  which 
occasionally  seizes  men  who  are  fighting  these  battles. 
Anticipate  such  "  spells,"  and  throw  yourself  into  action 
requiring  no  concentration  of  thought. 

RegimeS.  Don't  pity  yourself.  Entertain  no  sym- 
pathy for  your  suffering  nor  your  weakness.  Do  n't  play 
martyr.  Do  n't  class  yourself  with  heroic  reformers. 
Don't  nurse  your  egotism.  Don't  imagine  that  you  are 
doing  some  great  thing.  Forget  all  these  temptations. 
People  have  lost  track  of  neuralgia  over  Mark  Twain's 
"  Innocents  Abroad,"  and  have  fought  on  in  battle  with 
shattered  arms.  You  can  absolutely  forget  tobacco  and 
alcohol,  if  you  determine  to  do  so. 

Regime  9.  Do  n't  ask  the  Divine  Being  to  cure  these 
habits.  All  such  "  cures "  have  been  psychological. 
Deity  is  the  author  of  a  true  psychology,  and  religious  ex- 
perience is  psychological,  to  be  sure ;  but  the  Infinite 
works  through  His  own  laws,  one  of  which,  underlying  the 
crowning  achievement  of  moral  realms,  soul  development, 


280          Destruction  of  Immoral  Habits. 

is  that  Divine  help  is  given  to  no  human  being  in  an 
especial  manner  or  degree  who  can  achieve  success  by 
obedience  to  ordinary  principles  of  right  living. 

A  person  once  declared  that  "  the  Lord  had  taken 
away  his  craving  for  tobacco."  When  closely  and  per- 
sistently questioned,  he  confessed  that  there  had  been 
times  at  first  wherein  his  throat  and  mouth  had  felt 
"  raw,"  one  of  the  symptoms  of  tobacco  denial.  He  had 
forgotten  his  desire  in  his  intense  religious  excitement. 
Here  was  "  Divine  assistance,"  of  course,  but  without  any 
distinctively  supernatural  element. 

Some  people  can  get  "  cured  at  the  altar."  It  does  n't 
matter  what  notions  they  entertain,  so  long  as  they  escape 
the  "  beggarly  elements."  But  other  people  can  never 
quite  surrender  to  the  auto-suggestion  necessary,  and  fre- 
quently these  fail  of  achieving  what  is  called  "  victory  " 
because  they  rely  upon  mistaken  ideas  and  ignore  the  true 
law  of  these  subjects,  the  curability  of  habits  where  there 
is  genuine  desire  backed  by  resolute  Will  and  proper  men- 
tal conditions.  Any  method  which  will  create  desire  for 
reform,  foster  determination,  and  occupy  the  mind  with 
absorbing  thought  or  excitement  long  enough  to  enable 
the  system  to  readjust  itself,  will  realize  the  happy  results 
of  the  "  converted  drunkard  "  or  the  "  sanctified  tobacco 
user." 

In  conclusion  we  may  quote  from  "T/ie  Culture  of 
Courage "  suggestions  which  make  for  the  conquering 
spirit.  "  Faith,  conceived  as  the  affirmatively  expectant 
attitude  of  the  whole  self,  is  one  of  the  mightiest  powers  in 
this  world.  It  is  the  fundamental  element  in  auto-sugges- 
tion. You  are  therefore  invited  to  make  your  entire  thought 
and  life  a  suggestion  to  self  that  these  directions,  faithfully 
carried  out,  will  infallibly  eliminate  from  your  nature  "  the 
habits  indicated. 


Resolve ,  and  Thou  art  Free.  281 

But  remember,  "  faith  without  works  is  merely  a  '  say- 
so.'  Real  faith  is  confident  action  toward  a  goal.  The 
continuation  of  such  action  measures  the  kind  and  power 
of  faith  supposed.  You  should,  therefore,  determine  to 
persevere  —  a  thousand  years  if  necessary,  for  you  are  your- 
self everlasting,  if  you  will.  But  let  it  be  remembered 
that  mere  resolution  is  only  one-half  of  real  determination. 
Some  people  resolve  —  and  then  resolve,  never  achieving 
victory.  Others  put  '  bite  '  into  the  matter  in  hand  once 
for  all,  and  do  not  seem  to  know  how  to  let  go.  The  only 
cure  for  resolution  is  determination,  for  determination  is 
just  doing  the  thing  resolved  upon. 

"  The  soul  that  says,  '  I  am  going  to  overcome,'  will 
rery  likely  fail.  The  leverage  runs  too  far  into  the  future. 
A  valiant  Will  always  acts  on  a  short  lever.  You  should, 
therefore,  declare :  '  I  am  overcoming  1  The  thing  is  now 
being  accomplished  1  The  matter  in  hand  is  mastered.' 
This1  may  seem  a  trifle  false,  but  it  is  more  than  a  trifle 
true  if  you  really  mean  it.  When  a  man  swears  the  needed 
thing  now,  it  is  by  so  much  already  done  in  his  Will,  and  a 
good  deal  of  it,  unknown  to  him,  is  accomplished  in  the  con- 
crete." 


T  IS  WISE  SURRENDER  CROWNS  THE  KING." 


Our  Mother  Life  her  children  slays  — 

Old  earth  is  but  a  sepulchre. 
Yet  has  her  madness  wisdom's  ways 

That  honor  and  develop  her. 
Each  death  decreed  unfolds  her  praise 

In  law  of  world-wide  ministring  : 
And  so ,  for  man  the  -victor  bays  — 

''Tis  wise  surrender  crowns  the  king. 

True  living  counts  its  passing  days. 

Not  by  a  globe's  diameter, 
But  by  the  drama  spirit  plays 

To  London  Town  from  ancient  Ur. 
And  when  itself  its  progress  stays 

In  weakling  loves  that  fondly  cling, 
To  cherish  must  the  gods  amaze — 

Tis  wise  surrender  crowns  the  king. 

No  God-soul  after  impulse  strays 

Through  time  as  '(  Poor  Ophelia  were, 
Nor  like  a  fickle  Hamlet  prays 

For  power  Will  may  not  confer. 
Love  well  thy  pains  /    Achieve  the  phase 

Of  dying  which  is  life  at  spring; 
For  if  thy  self  thy  self  would  raise, 

'Tis  wise  surrender  crowns  the  king. 

What  evil  thing  may  growth  defer 
If  life  with  death  has  reckoning? 

Why,  then,  to  sorry  cost  demur? 
'Tis  wise  surrender  crowns  the  king. 


—  TH*  AOTHO*. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

CORRECTION  OF  OTHER  HABITS. 

|MPURE  thought,  despondent,  hopeless,  repin- 
ing, fault-finding,  fretful,  slanderous  thought, 
is  certain  to  make  the  blood  impure  and  fill 
the  system  with  disease. 

"  So  with  certain  habits  of  body  consequent  on  such 
habits  of  thought,  such  as  the  habit  of  worry,  the  habit  of 
laying  undue  stress  on  things  not  the  most  needful  for  the 
hour;  the  habit  of  trouble  borrowing  and  many  others, 
which  permeate  and  influence  every  act  of  life.  Their 
combined  effect  is  exhaustion,  and  exhaustion  is  the  real 
mother  of  most  of  the  ills  flesh  is  heir  to."  —  Prentice 
Mulford. 

"  We  are  continually  denying,"  said  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  "  that  we  have  habits  which  we  have  been  prac- 
tising all  our  lives.  Here  is  a  man  who  has  lived  forty  or 
fifty  years ;  and  a  chance  shot  sentence  or  word  lances 
him  and  reveals  to  him  a  trait  which  he  has  always  pos- 
sessed, but  which,  until  now,  he  had  not  the  remotest  idea 
that  he  possessed.  For  forty  or  fifty  years  he  has  been 
fooling  himself  about  a  matter  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  his 
face." 

We  now  take  up  certain  habits  not  regarded  as  im- 
moral. 

SLANG. 

Perhaps  one  such  unconscious  habit  is  that  of  slang. 
Some  people  are,  indeed,  slaves  to  the  tyrant,  "  Correct 


284  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

Style."  There  is  a  golden  mean.  It  is  related  of  a  college 
professor  that  his  usual  manner  of  speaking  was  so  exces- 
sively elegant  that  he  really  obscured  the  natural  scintilla- 
tions of  a  bright  mind ;  he  was  dull  where  a  slight  admix- 
ture of  the  "  common  parlance  "  would  have  imparted 
vivacity  to  his  otherwise  interesting  conversation.  He 
stands  as  a  type  of  the  few  uncanny  and  "  literary  fellows." 

One  may  indulge  slightly  in  slang  as  an  agreeable 
concession  to  a  work-a-day  world,  but  its  habitual  use 
indicates  a  want  of  self-control. 

" The  use  of  slang"  said  Dr.  O.  W.  Holmes,  "  or 
cheap  generic  terms,  as  a  substitute  for  differentiated 
specific  expressions,  is  at  once  a  sign  and  a  cause  of  mental 
atrophy.  It  is  the  way  in  which  a  lazy  adult  shifts  the 
trouble  of  finding  any  exact  meaning  in  his  (or  her)  con- 
versation on  the  other  party.  If  both  talkers  are  indolent, 
all  their  talk  lapses  into  the  vague  generalities  of  early 
childhood,  with  the  disadvantage  of  a  vulgar  phraseology. 
It  is  a  prevalent  social  vice  of  the  time,  as  it  has  been  of 
times  that  are  past." 

The  habit  may  be  destroyed  by  following  the  sugges- 
tions relating  to  profanity  and  garrulousness. 

Remember  that  slang  consisted  originally  of  the 
"  cant  words  used  by  thieves,  peddlers,  beggars,  and  the 
vagabond  classes  generally." 

Cultivate  the  society  of  the  best  speech.  "  If  you 
hear  poor  English  and  read  poor  English,"  said  Richard 
Grant  White,  "  you  will  pretty  surely  speak  poor  English 
and  write  poor  English." 

HESITATION  OF  SPEECH. 

It  may  be  that  the  stammerer's  ancestry  could  never 
get  well  quit  of  a  clear  statement.  Many  people  can 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      285 

make  no  smooth  headway  through  a  simple  utterance  of 
fact  or  opinion.  With  real  "  stuttering "  we  have  here 
nothing  to  do.  Those  who  stammer,  without  rhyme  or 
reason,  are  but  themselves  at  fault.  Perhaps  the  difficulty 
is  due  to  a  want  of  "  steam  "  sufficient  to  force  a  clear 
expression  of  thought ;  some  people  do  well  when  excited 
or  angry,  but  in  calm  moments  they  make  sad  work  of  it. 
Perhaps,  again,  the  trouble  is  owing  to  an  amount  of 
"  steam  "  which  they  do  not  control :  they  speak  smoothly 
when  not  disturbed,  but  excitement  causes  them  to  sputter 
like  a  fire-hose  out  of  which  water  is  failing.  Persistent 
practice  of  the  suggestions  below  ought  to  cure  this  diffi- 
culty, whatever  its  cause,  except  in  case  of  physical  de- 
formity. 

Regime  i.  Recall  some  incident  of  your  experience 
or  observation  occurring  within  the  last  twenty-four  hours. 
Deliberately  and  rapidly  recite,  in  an  ordinary  tone  of  voice, 
and  as  if  speaking  to  some  person,  a  connected  account 
of  the  entire  transaction.  Speak  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
Do  not  permit  yourself  to  pause  an  instant  for  want  of  a 
proper  word ;  thrust  in  any  word,  as  nearly  right  as  may 
be,  or  even  one  having  no  related  significance  —  any 
word  —  and  go  swiftly  on  to  the  end. 

Regime  2.  When  you  have  begun  a  sentence,  plunge 
straight  through  it  to  the  close.  Then  proceed  in  the 
same  manner  with  the  next,  and  drive  yourself  to  the 
finish  of  your  account. 

Regime  j.  Now  repeat  the  process,  resolving  to 
employ  better  language  with  each  sentence ;  but  do  not 
pause  an  instant ;  force  yourself  to  say  what  you  desire  in 
some  way,  no  matter  whether  elegant  or  not. 

Continue  daily  practice  of  these  directions  until  yo»r 
difficulty  is  overcome. 


286  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

Regime  4..  But  meanwhile,  one  fault  in  your  speech 
is  this :  you  do  not  consciously  think  your  thought  in 
actual  words.  This  you  must  learn  to  do.  Recall,  then, 
some  subject  of  thought  on  which  you  have  an  opinion. 
Proceed,  now,  to  state  that  opinion  exactly  to  yourself  and 
in  an  ordinary  tone  of  voice.  The  exercise  may  be  varied 
by  pronouncing  the  words  mentally,  but  do  not  fall  into 
that  imbecile  habit  of  moving  the  lips.  Your  opinion 
must  be  uttered  rapidly,  the  Will  compelling  the  thought 
to  march  on  without  hesitation,  no  matter  what  an  occa- 
sional word  may  chance  to  be.  You  have  two  things 
to  learn  :  to  think  exact  thoughts  in  actual  words  ;  and  to 
think  them  with  the  greatest  speed. 

Regime  3.  It  will  assist  you,  now,  if  you  will  begin 
to  write  the  opinion  or  account  as  swiftly  as  you  can  dash 
the  pen  across  the  page.  Work  here  also  with  fierce 
energy,  never  pausing  an  instant,  but  always,  when  tempted 
to  hesitate,  writing  the  best  word  of  which  you  can  think 
—  or  throwing  in  a  dash  or  any  word  coming  to  mind. 
When  this  is  done,  sentence  after  sentence,  read  the 
whole,  and  proceed  to  criticise  and  correct:  then  rewrite 
in  a  better  manner  but  with  all  possible  speed. 

Regime  6.  Commit  to  memory  and  keep  in  mind  the 
following  rules : 

will  speak  rapidly  —  or  slowly,  as  required. 

will  never  stop  for  a  word. 

will  never  pause  to  correct  a  word  or  a  phrase. 

will  never  leave  a  sentence  unfinished. 

will  never  turn  back  in  a  sentence. 

will  use  the  best  possible  language. 

will  not  speak  in  two  styles  —  one  for  common  life, 
and  one  for  uncommon  occasions.  I  will  adopt  a  good 
style  and  always  employ  this. 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      287 

I  will  not  speak  loosely,  and  I  will  not  converse  like 
a  prig  or  a  pedant.  I  will  be  correct,  yet  simple ;  elegant, 
yet  unaffected. 

MIND-WANDERING. 

Elsewhere,  in  Chapter  XVIII,  will  be  found  other 
pertinent  remarks  on  this  fault.  The  importance  of  the 
topic  cannot  be  overestimated,  and  it  will  therefore  bear 
further  suggestions. 

The  wandering  mind  is  the  thoughtless  mind. 
Thought  loves  the  highway;  notions  climb  the  fences. 
Thoughts  are  trained  hounds;  fancies  are  puppies  —  off 
for  every  scent.  It  would  weary  the  intellect  of  a  Newton 
to  follow  the  wanderings  of  a  young  dog.  Wandering 
thoughts  waste  the  brain  and  they  get  no  "  game."  The 
uncontrolled  brain  is  a  fool's  paradise.  Nothing  comes  of 
the  mind  which  cannot  stick.  The  cure  of  mind-wander- 
ing is  control  by  the  Will.  The  practice  here  suggested 
will  cure  this  senseless  fault,  and  at  the  same  time 
strengthen  the  Will  itself. 

Regime  i.  In  reading,  always  proceed  slowly,  until 
you  have  acquired  the  power  of  rapid  comprehension. 
Select  some  good  sentence  for  reading.  Read  it,  slowly 
carefully,  understanding  every  word.  Ten  notions  have 
flitted  across  the  field  of  thought.  Resolve  to  keep  that 
field  clear.  Read  the  sentence  again,  proceeding  as 
before,  and  willing  intensely  to  hold  to  its  thought  and 
nothing  else.  Continue  to  read  that  sentence  until  you 
can  attend  absolutely  without  a  single  failure  to  what  it 
says.  When  you  can  read  it,  with  nothing  whatever  save 
its  own  thought  in  mind,  take  your  eyes  from  the  page  and 
repeat  it — the  thought  not  the  words  —  in  the  best  pos- 
sible manner.  Your  mental  action  has  now  "  wandered." 
Go  back  and  read  the  sentence  again,  giving  it  exclusive 


288  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

attention  ;  then  state  in  mental  words  its  thought,  holding 
yourself  to  complete  absorption  in  the  matter. 

Regime  2.  Continue  the  above  exercise  until  you 
can  confine  the  mind  to  that  thought  with  not  the  shadow 
of  another  idea.  Then  proceed  with  further  reading  in 
exactly  the  same  way.  You  will  not  make  much  progress 
at  the  start.  Your  habit  is  of  long  standing,  and  it  will 
require  great  patience  and  perseverance  to  destroy  it. 
But  the  thing  can  certainly  be  done.  Remember!  For 
what  are  you  reading  at  all  ?  Really  to  read  —  genuinely 
to  think.  Here  are  goals  which  are  worth  untiring  labor 
and  unlimited  time.  A  page  a  day  which  the  soul  bores 
its  way  into  is  better  than  a  book  read  carelessly  in  one 
hour. 

Rigimc  j.  When  about  to  read,  ask  yourself:  "  Why 
am  I  to  read  this  matter  ? "  Find  that  out ;  then  insist 
upon  getting  what  you  are  after.  Read  the  first  sentence, 
and  ask :  "  What  did  that  sentence  mean  and  say  ?  "  Read 
the  sentence  until  you  know  and  can  tell  the  fact  or 
truth  in  your  own  words.  Proceed  thus  to  the  close  of 
the  first  paragraph,  and  ask :  "  Exactly  what  does  this  par- 
agraph declare  ? "  Persist  in  reading  the  same  paragraph 
until  you  can  relate  its  thought.  Continue  these  exercises 
to  the  complete  mastery  of  thoughtful  reading.  You  will 
find  your  mind-wandering  slowly  vanishing. 

Regime  4.  While  engaged  in  business  or  other  matters, 
pause  frequently  to  note  what  you  are  thinking  about. 
You  will  meet  with  many  surprises.  Catch  yourself 
indulging  some  train  of  fancy,  and  then  ask :  "  Has  this 
any  value  to  me  ?  Am  I  thinking  out  the  matter  in  which 
I  am  physically  engaged,  or  on  which  I  set  out,  or  am  I 
merely  running  about  in  it  like  a  puppy  in  a  new  field  ? " 
Keep  the  mind  upon  thoughts  of  value.  They  need  not 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.       289 

relate  to  death  and  the  judgment ;  pleasant  thoughts  are 
not  unlawful.  Compel  your  mind  to  think,  not  only 
thoughts  of  value,  but  in  a  connected  way  as  well.  Stand 
guard  over  your  own  mind.  Dispel  every  fleeting  fancy 
and  uncalled  notion  not  germane  to  the  thing  in  hand,  as 
far  as  possible.  Cultivate  a  reliable  and  purposeful  intel- 
lect. Commit  the  following  lines  to  memory,  and  make 
the  verse  a  talisman  against  wandering  thoughts  : 

A  wandering  mind  is  like  a  shooting  star: 

With  orbit  none,  it  yields  a  transient  light. — 

The  mind  God  launched  across  Creation's  bar 

Hath  His  omnipotence  —  great  Reason's  might 

GARRULOUSNESS. 

The  majority  of  people  talk  too  much,  often  saying 
nothing,  or  what  is  perhaps,  the  worse  for  themselves, 
uttering  words  which  they  afterwards  wish  had  been  left 
unsaid.  There  are  others  who  are  as  uncommunicative  as 
the  oyster  —  and  not  always,  when  they  open  their  mouths, 
does  a  pearl  fall  to  your  prize.  In  social  life  they  are 
fallen  logs,  against  which  the  stream  of  conversation 
dashes  and  from  which  it  turns  aside  in  sparkling  agita- 
tion. In  business  they  are  enigmas,  perennial  objects  of 
suspicion.  They  do  not,  as  a  rule,  make  many  friends, 
although  when  they  do,  these  stand  by  to  the  death. 

The  opposite  class  are  numerous,  and,  because  they 
talk  too  much,  are  objects  of  a  fellow-feeling  among  men 
and  are  believed  to  be  amenable  to  improvement.  The 
following  rules  will  cure  garrulousness,  if  obeyed  to  the 
letter. 

Regime  I.  At  the  beginning  of  each  day  for,  say, 
three  months,  run  over  in  your  mind  all  matters  that  are 
of  vital  importance  to  your  social  and  business  life.  You 
will  discover  some  things  which  you  ought  to  keep  to 


"290  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

yourself.  Make  an  iron-clad  resolution  to  reveal  them  to 
no  human  being.  Remember!  Remember!  Remember! 
When  in  conversation  with  others,  recall  that  resolution. 
Remember !  yes,  remember !!  If  you  fail  during  the  day, 
remember !  remember !  and  renew  the  resolution  on  the 
next  day.  Stand  by  it !  Carry  it  in  mind  every  hour. 
In  the  evening  review  your  success  or  failure,  and  saturate 
your  thought  with  condemnation  and  with  fiercer  deter- 
mination to  reform.  Do  not  yield  until  you  can  instantly 
repress  any  impulse  to  speak  on  any  subject.  In  three 
months  you  will  be  master  of  your  tongue. 

Regime  2.  You  are  using  too  many  words  at  all 
times.  This  fault  can  be  corrected.  You  must,  in  order 
to  improvement,  cultivate  terseness  of  speech.  Practise 
every  day  for  a  year  the  following.  This  is  labor,  but 
the  result  will  amply  repay  you  : 

Regime  j.  Think  a  fairly  long  statement  concerning 
some  object,  person  or  event.  You  must  deliberately 
think  in  words,  making  an  intelligible  sentence.  Now 
write  it  out  in  full.  We  will  call  this  statement  "A." 
Repeat  it,  attending  to  your  own  voice.  How  does  it 
sound  ?  Is  the  sentence  the  best  that  you  can  make  ?  If 
not,  improve  it.  Now  reduce  it  to  its  lowest  possible 
terms  as  a  clear,  definite  and  complete  statement.  Write 
it  on  another  sheet  of  paper.  Repeat  it,  noting  its  sound. 
Then  determine  to  cut  it  down  one-third,  or  even  one- 
half.  Persevere  until  this  is  done.  Write  the  result  on 
a  third  sheet  of  paper.  Now  compare  the  three  state- 
ments. Compute  the  per  cent,  of  reduction.  You  will 
be  astonished  to  observe  the  waste  of  breath  and  language 
in  your  ordinary  conversation. 

Regime  4..  Resolve  to  carry  out  the  idea  of  conden- 
sation in  all  your  speech.  In  the  course  of  a  few  months 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      291 

you  will  discover  two  things  :  first,  your  vocabulary  will 
have  become  larger  and  better,  because  this  effort  requires 
the  use  of  dictionaries  and  thoughtful  practice  with  words  ; 
secondly,  your  manner  of  speaking  will  have  become  sur- 
prisingly condensed  and  intelligent. 


Select,  further,  some  author  whose  style 
is  chaste  and  condensed.  Read  his  works  carefully,  a 
little  every  day.  Following  the  rules  for  memory,  commit 
some  of  your  author's  best  sentences  and  paragraphs.  A 
small  book  which  is  a  condensation  of  a  larger  one  may 
be  used  in  connection  with  the  preceding  suggestion.  In 
time,  this  practice  will,  without  any  special  effort  on  your 
part,  greatly  modify  your  general  style  of  speech. 

Regime  6.  No  one  will  affirm  that  Carlyle's  tumult- 
uous chaos  of  words  is  a  finished  globe  of  conventional 
economy  in  the  matter  of  language  ;  but  this  Thunderer 
has  thoughts  and  is  recognized  as  a  wizard  with  our 
mighty  English.  Read  the  following,  therefore  ;  cut  it 
deeply  into  memory,  and  live  in  the  atmosphere  of  its 
suggestion  : 

"  The  great  silent  men  !  Looking  around  on  the 
noisy  inanity  of  the  world,  words  with  little  meaning, 
actions  with  little  worth,  one  loves  to  reflect  on  the  great 
Empire  of  Silence.  The  noble,  silent  men,  scattered  here 
and  there,  each  in  his  department  ;  silently  thinking, 
silently  working;  whom  no  Morning  Newspaper  makes 
mention  of  1  They  are  the  salt  of  the  Earth.  A  country 
that  has  none  or  few  of  these  is  in  a  bad  way.  Like  a 
forest  which  had  no  roots;  which  had  all  turned  into 
leaves  and  boughs  ;  —  which  must  soon  wither  and  be  no 
forest.  Woe  for  us  if  we  had  nothing  but  what  we  can 
show  or  speak.  Silence,  the  great  Empire  of  SILENCE  ; 


292  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

higher  than  the  stars  ;  deeper  than  the  Kingdoms  of  Death  t 
It  alone  is  great ;  all  else  is  small." 

THOUGHTLESSNESS. 

This  is  the  habit  which  causes  one  to  miss  his  train, 
forget  his  wife's  message,  send  an  important  letter  with- 
out signature,  rush  to  keep  an  engagement  an  hour  late, 
omit  to  carry  his  pocket-book  to  church,  dress  for  an 
evening  party  without  a  necktie,  leave  the  comb  in  her 
hair,  and  cry,  when  the  house  is  afire :  "  Where  is  the 
baby  ? "  It  may  and  ought  to  be  cured.  The  main 
secret  of  remedy  is,  of  course,  the  resolute  Will.  Every 
habit  which  men  confess  can  be  broken,  if  it  be  thoroughly 
willed  that  the  thing  must  and  shall  be  done. 

Regime  I.  You  should  resolve  every  day  until  it 
ceases  to  be  necessary,  as  soon  as  you  rise,  to  remember 
whatever  you  ought  to  remember  during  that  day.  It 
would  be  better  to  so  resolve  at  morning  and  at  noon. 
At  the  close  of  the  time  limited,  you  should  recall  wherein 
you  have  failed,  and  spend  a  few  moments  in  deliberate 
thought  on  the  folly  of  this  fault. 

Regime  2.  You  should  ask  yourself  concerning  any 
particular  matter  requiring  attention  :  "  Why  do  I  wish  to 
remember  this  thing  ?  Who  will  suffer  if  I  fail  ?  Who 
will  be  benefited  if  I  succeed?  " 

Regime  j.  You  should  make  up  your  mind  abso- 
lutely never  to  defer  what  ought  to  be  done  at  some  time, 
and  may  be  done  immediately.  The  moment  you  think 
of  a  matter  which  you  wish  to  attend  to,  proceed  instantly 
to  do  it.  If  it  is  impossible  at  the  time,  charge  your  mind 
with  it  again,  state  why  it  must  be  done,  and  when  you 
will  give  it  attention.  Do  it  then  at  almost  any  cost. 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      293 

You  are  fixing  a  habit  of  recollection,  and  this  is  worth 
all  inconvenience. 

Regime  4..  You  should  begin  now  to  give  your  whole 
mind  to  whatever  you  undertake.  Do  nothing  without 
full  thought.  Repeat  to  yourself:  "I  know  what  I  am 
doing  and  why.  This  one  thing  I  do."  When  the  matter 
is  finished,  and  before  you  allow  yourself  to  think  of  any- 
thing else,  review  it  carefully.  Is  it  all  complete  ?  Is  it 
exactly  to  your  satisfaction  ?  If  not,  go  back  and  do  it 
over  again,  following  the  above  directions.  This  devel- 
ops the  habit  of  thinking  on  what  you  are  doing. 

Regime  5.  You  should  never  think  of  one  thing  while 
trying  to  do  another — except  in  certain  habituated  tasks. 

Regime  6.  You  should  put  yourself  to  inconvenience 
to  make  good  any  carelessness. 

Regime  7.  You  should  never  allow  yourself  to  be- 
come excited. 

Practise  daily,  for  three  months,  making  a  different 
route  which  you  will  follow  in  going  to  and  returning  from 
your  place  of  business,  and  never  fail. 

Regime  8.  Determine  every  day  until  unnecessary,  to 
recall,  at  a  certain  exact  hour,  some  particular  matter  to 
which  you  will  then  attend.  Keep  the  same  hour  for 
many  days  ;  then  change  the  hour ;  continue  until  you 
are  master  in  this  respect.  This  will  build  up  a  habit  of 
obeying  your  own  orders. 

Regime  9.  At  frequent  intervals,  during  each  day 
until  unnecessary,  stop  all  active  work,  and  recall  any 
particular  matter  which  you  ought  to  have  attended  to. 
Then  recall  any  matter  to  which  you  must  yet  attend.  Do 
not  be  hurried.  Give  your  whole  thought  to  these  efforts. 
Immediately  make  good  your  negligence. 


294  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

Regime  20.  Never  trust  mere  note-books  for  matters 
which  a  fair  memory  ought  to  retain.  Never  trust  any- 
thing else  for  dates  and  important  business  transactions. 
Put  no  confidence  in  mnemonics ;  tie  no  strings  to  your 
fingers ;  make  no  associations  (unless  of  the  simplest 
kind)  as  helps.  Use  your  Will.  Compel  yourself  to  obey 
that  power. 

INDECISION. 

There  are  those  whose  Will-power  is  very  good  when 
they  have  decided  what  they  will  do.  But  they  find  it 
difficult  to  arrive  at  decision.  They  balance  the  pros  and 
cons  to  weariness,  and  cannot  settle  the  matter  in  hand. 
That  is  to  say,  they  believe  themselves  to  be  engaged  as 
indicated.  The  truth  is,  their  minds  are  confused,  and  it 
is  but  vaguely  that  they  think  at  all.  If  this  is  your 
habit  —  that  of  indecision — you  must  summon  your  en- 
tire strength  to  its  destruction.  The  difficulty  is  more  or 
less  constitutional ;  nevertheless  it  may  be  overcome. 

Regime  i.  Carry  always  with  you  a  strong  sense  of 
resolution. 

Regime  2.  Cultivate  consciousness  of  self  and  self- 
possession. 

Regime  j.  Remember  always  where  you  are  and 
what  you  are  doing. 

Regime  4.  Under  no  circumstances  permit  yourself 
to  become  excited  or  confused.  If  you  find  either  of  these 
conditions  obtaining,  defer  the  matter  until  calmness  re- 
turns. If  it  cannot  be  deferred,  summons  tremendous 
Will ;  remember,  "  I  must  be  calm  1  "  and  decide  as  best 
you  can.  At  the  next  emergency  profit  by  this  experi- 
ence. But  waste  no  energy  in  useless  reviews  of  mistakes. 
Store  away  the  mood  of  coolness  for  future  use. 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      295 

Regime  5.  Learn  to  think  of  but  one  thing  at  a  time. 
When  engaged  with  any  matter,  put  the  whole  mind  upon 
that  alone. 

Regime  6.  Make  the  difficulty  and  discomfort  of 
indecision  cause  for  immediate  resolution. 

Regime  7.  When  in  doubt  attend  to  motives  singly. 
Think  of  one  at  a  time  clearly  and  forcibly.  Do  not  be- 
come distracted  by  many  considerations.  In  examining 
motives  force  a  vivid  conception  of  each,  and  then  of  all 
together.  Then  rapidly  review  all  reasons,  for  and 
against,  as  nearly  at  once  as  possible.  Then  act  1  De- 
cide !  Take  some  chances.  All  men  must  do  so  more  or 
less.  Waste  no  time  with  consequent  regrets. 

Regime  8.  For  at  least  three  months  resolve  every 
morning  as  to  how  you  will  dress.  Do  this  quickly.  Fix 
the  exact  order  of  procedure.  Adhere  strictly  to  your 
plan.  Never  yield  ;  never  hesitate.  Dress  as  rapidly  as 
possible.  Vary  the  order  each  day,  as  far  as  may  be  done 
with  your  combination. 

Regime  9.  Resolve,  when  you  start  for  your  office,  or 
any  objective  point,  that  you  will  keep  in  mind  what  you 
are  doing  until  you  arrive.  Do  not  plan  the  way  at  the 
start.  Proceed  on  your  way  ;  think  that  you  are  going ; 
at  the  first  opportunity  for  varying  the  course,  pause  an 
instant,  think  of  reasons  for  one  way  or  another,  and  im- 
mediately decide  —  to  take  this  car  or  to  follow  that  street ; 
at  the  next  opportunity,  repeat  the  process.  Continue 
until  facility  in  quick  decision  in  the  matter  is  acquired. 

Regime  10.  You  should  cultivate  the  habit  of  acting 
in  a  rapid,  energetic  manner.  Do  everything  you  under- 
take with  keen  thought  and  a  strong  feeling  of  power. 

Regime  n.     You  should  above  all  learn  promptness. 


296  Correction  of  Other  Habits, 

Meet  every  engagement  on  the  minute.  Fulfil  each  duty 
exactly  on  time.  Never  dawdle  in  any  matter.  Be  de- 
cisive in  all  things. 

Regime  12.  In  addition  to  hours  and  dates  ordinarily 
fixed  in  your  life,  make  many  artifical  resolutions  relating 
to  time  and  manner,  and  religiously  carry  them  out  to  the 
letter.  Keep  forever  in  mind  the  necessity  of  promptness, 
energy,  quickness  of  action,  strength  of  Will. 

WANT  OF  OPINION. 

The  fundamental  difficulty  here  is  lack  of  thought. 
People  who  think  have  opinions.  Thought  can  be  culti- 
vated only  by  exercise  of  Will,  and  in  three  ways:  by 
forced  efforts,  which  require  Will ;  by  reading,  which  re- 
quires intelligent  comprehension,  and  by  observation,  which 
requires  attention. 

Regime  i.  You  do  not  observe  keenly  and  clearly 
what  is  going  on  about  you.  You  should  resolve  and  in- 
stantly begin  to  see  things.  It  is  a  great  art,  that  of  see- 
ing correctly.  The  wise  man  is  he  who  sees  what  other 
people  are  merely  looking  at.  You  should  determine  to 
see  things  as  they  are.  This  means  that  you  are  to  find 
out  what  they  are.  You  can  begin  upon  any  common 
object :  the  ground ;  the  grass ;  household  furniture. 
After  a  time  you  will  become  interested,  and  you  will  then 
find  yourself  thinking.  Then  you  will  have  opinions,  be- 
cause you  will  believe  or  know  many  matters. 

Regime  2.  You  need  to  discover  wherein  you  are 
ignorant.  That  will  be  comparatively  easy.  Then  you 
must  set  about  finding  all  that  you  can  discover  upon  some 
particular  subject.  Look  around ;  ask  questions ;  read 
papers,  magazines,  books.  Keep  the  end  in  view,  to  know 
this  subject  to  the  bottom.  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      297 

diverted  from  this  purpose.  Become  a  walking  encyclo- 
pedia on  this  one  thing.  When  you  have  exhausted  the 
matter  as  far  as  possible,  you  will  possess  genuine  opinions. 
And  you  will  then  be  eager  to  take  another  subject,  and 
will  follow  it  to  the  last  farthing  of  value.  The  result  will 
be —  more  opinions. 

Regime  j.  In  the  meantime,  you  will  have  discov- 
ered the  luxury  of  intelligent  opinions,  and  of  the  habit  of 
forming  your  own.  People  accept  the  opinions  of  others 
because  they  are  aware  of  their  own  ignorance.  So  soon 
as  they  become  themselves  informed,  they  decline  this 
sort  of  superiority.  Want  of  opinion  and  want  of  knowl- 
edge are  equivalent.  The  latter  is  the  sole  right  remedy 
for  the  former.  But  there  is  no  cure  for  want  of  brains. 
Without  brains  so-called  opinions  are  fools'  quips.  At 
the  brainless  person  Nature  wrings  her  helpless  hands. 
It  is  a  finality  of  despair. 

OPINIONATIVENESS. 

This  habit  is  the  outcome  of  a  stubborn  Will  exer- 
cised by  a  blind  soul.  The  opinionated  man  sees  himself 
only.  His  Volitions  are  not  so  much  strong  and  active 
as  set  and  inert.  The  Will  is  here  more  or  less  diseased, 
because  the  self  has  no  proper  outlook  upon  life.  The 
self  supposes  that  it  understands  things,  events  and  per- 
sons, but  its  real  understanding  is  vague  and  partial. 
Could  it  know  more,  it  would  arrive  at  different  views.  It 
looks  at  the  silver  side  of  the  shield ;  it  ought  to  discover 
the  other  side  ;  but  it  cannot  do  this.  Certain  aspects  of 
events  are  presented  ;  it  cannot  penetrate  to  additional 
phases.  Views  of  people  give  it  notions  which  are  not 
real  ideas  because  true  motives  of  conduct  are  hidden. 
The  opinionated  person  is  usually  wrong.  As  woman  de- 


298  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

pends  largely  upon  intuitions,  when  she  betrays  the  fault 
here  under  consideration  it  is  well-nigh  incurable,  for 
intuitions  are  not  amenable  to  reason.  They  are  divine 
when  right,  but  the  despair  of  man  when  wrong.  The 
difficulty  here  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  opinionated  soul 
views  all  things  through  itself,  and  magnifies  its  own  per- 
sonality to  enormous  proportions.  It  is  ruled  by  sub- 
jective conditions  which  shut  out  the  relations  and  per- 
spective of  the  world. 

Who  ne'er  concedes  the  law  of  truth, 

That  truth  transcends  his  mind, 
Mistakes  himself  for  God,  and,  sooth, 

With  open  eyes  —  stands  blind : 
His  soul  a  world,  great  "views"  he  spawns, 
While  humans  laugh  and  Nature  yawns. 

Such  a  conception  of  self  can  only  be  corrected  by  a 
true  realization  of  the  personality  of  other  people.  There 
are  those  who  never  actually  appreciate  the  fact  that  their 
fellows  are  genuine  existences.  To  them  human  beings 
are  little  more  than  phantoms,  presenting  various  unsub- 
stantial phenomena  of  life ;  they  are  never  bona-fide  per- 
sons possessed  of  hearts  and  brains,  and  engaged  in  con- 
crete realities.  Why  should  phantoms  have  opinions? 
Themselves  are  real ;  themselves  discover  reasons  for 
views ;  themselves  are  therefore  entitled  to  opinions. 
This  right  is  not  universal  because  other  minds  are  not  by 
them  apprehended  as  actual.  Hence  the  remedy  for  this 
species  of  "  insanity  "  must  go  to  the  root  of  the  difficulty. 
These  people  must  learn  to  realize  their  fellows.  If  the 
habit  of  opinionativeness  is  to  be  cured,  humanity  must 
be  made  concrete  and  real  in  thought, 

In  order  to  this,  let  the  following  suggestions  be 
practised  during  life.  After  death  your  happiness  will 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.       299 

largely  depend  upon  your  power  to  concede  to  your  fel- 
lows a  legitimate  place  in  the  universe. 

Regime  i.  Select  one  of  your  friends  or  acquaint- 
ances, and  study  that  soul  with  no  reference  whatever  to 
yourself.  Learn  his  ways,  his  sentiments  and  emotions, 
his  thoughts  and  motives.  No  matter  whether  these 
elements  of  his  life  are  proper  or  improper,  right  or 
wrong;  you  are  not  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  him,  but 
merely  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  nature 
and  character.  In  time  you  will  discover  that  he  thinks 
he  has  various  reasons  for  his  opinions,  which  you  are  not 
to  condemn,  because  that  is  not  the  thing  in  hand,  but 
which  you  are  vividly  to  realize  as  facts  in  his  life.  Above 
all,  you  will  gradually  find  yourself  thinking  of  him  as  a 
real  being  in  a  real  body  and  engaged  in  a  real  life. 

Regime  2.  Continue  this  study  with  reference  to 
other  people  about  you,  until  you  have  formed  the  habit 
of  feeling  thoroughly  the  fact  that  you  are  dealing  with 
living  men  and  women. 

Regime  j.  When  you  have  ceased  to  think  of  them 
as  phantoms,  a  curious  thing  will  occur ;  you  will  regard 
some  of  your  old-time  opinions  as  more  or  less  confused, 
inadequate  and  baseless. 

Regime  4..  At  all  times  you  should  remember  with 
whom  you  are  coming  in  contact.  If  your  idea  of  human 
life  is  justifiable,  you  need  look  upon  no  one  as  your  in- 
ferior. Many  people  may  be  so,  indeed,  but  it  is  n't 
worth  while  considering.  You  have,  perhaps,  been  ac- 
customed to  deference  and  obedience  from  your  employees. 
Such  a  relation  demands  politeness  on  your  part  for  the 
sake  of  your  own  dignity.  The  person  who  is  not  polite 
to  servants  surrenders  moral  values.  Yet  politeness  is 


3<x>  Correction  of  Other  Habits. 

merely  the  veneer  of  the  Golden  Rule.  That  rule,  in  all 
respects,  should  be  practised  toward  those  with  whom  you 
deal.  When  it  governs  a  man's  life,  the  "  maid,"  the 
"  man,"  the  employee  comes  to  be  regarded  as  a  human 
being  in  an  exalted  sense.  Such  an  habitual  regard  trans- 
fers from  the  ranks  of  servants  to  those  of  fellows.  You 
have  fallen  into  the  habit  of  hurling  your  opinions  at  peo- 
ple to  whom  you  pay  no  wages  because  you  have  had 
authority  over  those  who  receive  the  means  of  living  at 
your  hands.  Were  you  to  look  upon  your  "  help  "  as  real 
beings,  sensitive  and  possessed  of  rights,  you  would  not 
arrogate  to  your  opinions  sole  legality  and  exclusive  value. 
Whatever  you  do  as  to  "hands,"  you  do  not  own  the  rest 
of  mankind.  It  is  not  "  good  policy  "  to  forget  this 
trifling  fact. 

Regime  5.  You  should  forever  strive  exactly  to  un- 
derstand opinions  opposite  to  your  own.  You  cannot 
thrust  them  aside  as  wrong  unless  you  know  what  they 
really  are.  The  opinionated  person  seldom  understands 
what  he  contradicts.  A  thorough  knowledge  of  another 
man's  thought  will  bring  you  nearer  to  him,  and  your 
ideas,  being  then  compared  with  his,  will  probably  not 
seem  so  huge  and  so  unquestionably  correct. 

Regime  6.  The  study  of  opposite  opinions  involves 
the  study  of  reasons.  There  is  a  possibility  that,  when 
you  fully  discover  another  person's  reasons  for  opinions, 
your  own  reasons  may  undergo  some  alteration.  It 
would  diminish  your  infallibility  if  you  could  see  the  force 
with  which  reasons  other  than  your  own  make  for  differing 
views. 

Regime  7.  You  should  occasionally  recall  your  er- 
rors in  judgment.  It  may  be  ventured  with  some  assur 
ance  that  you  will  be  able  to  recollect  at  least  one  such 


Will  Masters  the  Lord  of  Misrule.      301 

error.     If  once  in  error,  possibly  many  times.     Burn  that 
into  your  soul. 

Regime  8.  You  should  also  recall  the  mistakes  of 
your  life.  You  have  thus  suffered  injury.  If  you  can 
write  this  on  the  retina  of  your  eye,  perhaps  you  may  re- 
form a  little  of  your  cocksure  attitude.  Some  of  your 
mistakes  have  injured  others.  If  you  do  not  care  about 
this,  close  the  present  book  and  "gang  your  ain  gait." 
The  pig-pen  has  one  remedy  —  fire  and  the  sword. 

CONCLUSION  OF  PART  IV. 

In  conclusion  of  the  two  preceding  chapters,  it  would 
be  well  for  every  person  occasionally  to  submit  to  self- 
examination  as  to  the  reign  of  habits,  whether  immoral  or 
otherwise.  Beware  of  the  "  devil's  palsy  of  self-appro- 
bation." Let  a  list  of  personal  faults  be  carefully  and 
deliberately  made.  They  should  be  scrutinized  severely 
to  ascertain  their  power  and  results.  Then  resolve  to 
destroy  them,  root  and  branch.  Begin  at  once.  Carry 
the  list  with  you.  Frequently  read  it.  Determine,  again 
and  again,  to  be  rid  of  them.  Give  each  a  definite  time 
for  extirpation.  Preserve  a  record  of  success  and  failure 
in  this  respect.  Read  this  at  the  close  of  each  day  of 
battle.  Continue  until  free. 

Meanwhile,  in  all  things,  cultivate  the  resolute,  con- 
quering Mood  of  Will.  You  can  be  free  / 

RESOLVE  1  "ATTENTION  TO  THE  KING 
ON  HIS  THRONE  11" 


SPEECH. 


All  objects  of  creative  power  have  speech; 

Else  how  her  laws  might  Earth  her  children  teach* 

How  might  the  vaster  Mother,  Universe, 

Her  ancient  Vedas  with  Lord  Time  rehearse, 

Till  Psyche  waked  and  dared  life's  endless  reach  ? 

The  countless  atoms  threaten  or  beseech, 
In  forest,  mountain,  valley,  ocean,  beach  — 
All  objects  speak  in  language  clear  and  terse. 

Such  speech  is  aye  for  better,  ne'er  for  worse, 
Till  man  evolves  his  blessing  or  his  curse. 
Yet  man  with  heart  afire  may  beauty  preach  — 
To  him  the  gift  of  eloquence  in  speech  / 

The  words  of  kings  do  largesses  disburse  j 

The  gifts  of  kings  do  but  their  kingdoms  nurse: 

Let  nought  unmeet  thy  sovran  -word  impeach! 

—  THB  AUTHOX. 


PART  V.— CONTACT  WITH  OTHER  PEOPLE. 


ELOQUENCE. 


With  self  the  soul  companions  through  the  night, 
Mayhap  with  friends  beyond  etheric  sight, 
Nor  holds  the  speech  of  earth  in  lust  and  might, 
But  language  born  for  service  and  delight. 

,Vow  when  the  world  returns  to  day  and  toil, 
And  life  is  huge  activity  and  moil, 
Our  words  betray  our  blindness  and  the  soil, 
And  so  we  fain  must  ape  them  or  recoil. 

Supreme  the  task  to  utter  gracious  thought, 
Diviner  yet  to  have  it,  nobly  sought ; 
And  only  when  high  passions,  swiftly  wrought, 
Sublime  the  soul,  is  powers  secret  caught. 

From  labor  patient  comes  the  godlike  art 
Of  thought's  conveyance,  but  the  burning  heart 
In  eloquence  of  life  plays  chief est part  — 
The  master  aye  of  cloister  or  of  mart. 

Who  craves  the  golden  tongue  must  lift  and  climb, 
Know  lairs  of  eagles  and  the  look  sublime, 
Yet  fires  that  purge  the  valley's  dust  and  grime, 
Vast  solitudes  and  yet  the  mob  of  time. 

With  self  must  he  companion  through  the  night, 
And  with  high  friends  who  own  the  larger  sight, 
Drink  youth' s  eternal  waters  of  delight, 
And  win  the  human  soul  for  truth  and  right. 

—  THE  AUTHOR, 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  WILL  IN  PUBLIC  SPEAKING. 

[HILE  engaged  in  the  composition  of  my  '  Ele- 
ments of  Chemistry,'  I  perceived,  better  than 
I  had  ever  done  before,  the  truth  of  an  obser- 
vation of  Condillac,  that  we  think  only  through  the 
medium  of  words  ;  and  that  languages  are  true  analytic 
methods.  The  art  of  reasoning  is  nothing  more  than  a 
language  well  arranged." — Lavoisier. 

11  In  a  thousand  emergencies  men  have  been  obliged 
to  act  with  quickness,  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  caution  ; 
in  other  words,  to  examine  subjects,  and  to  do  it  with  ex- 
pedition. The  consequence  of  this  is,  that  the  numerous 
minute  circumstances,  involved  more  or  less  in  all  subjects 
of  difficult  inquiry,  are  passed  in  review  with  such  rapidity, 
and  are  made  in  so  small  a  degree  the  objects  of  separate 
attention,  that  they  vanish  and  arc  forgotten" — Professor 
Upham. 

The  design  of  this  chapter  is  suggestive  only  to  the 
author's  elaborate  and  practical  work,  "Power  for  Suc- 
ffss."  Power  of  Will  is  here  the  central  consideration, 
and  the  following  pages  have  mainly  to  do  with  that 
factor. 

The  chief  difficulties  of  public  speaking  relate  to 
thought,  language  and  imagination.  Those  who  lack  one 


306  The    Will  in  Public  Speaking. 

or  the  other  of  these  talents  can,  therefore,  never  acquire 
the  art.  But  such  talents  may  exist  without  discovery, 
merely  requiring  proper  cultivation.  And  the  word 
"talent"  must  not  be  exaggerated.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  possess  great  abilities  in  order  to  speak  well  before 
others.  Many  who  would  probably  fail  in  presence  of  an 
audience  express  themselves  with  clearness,  and  some- 
times with  eloquence,  in  ordinary  conversation.  The 
difference  between  conversation  and  public  speaking  is 
largely  the  power  of  sustained  effort.  As  Professor 
George  H.  Palmer  remarks  :  "  Talking  moves  in  sen- 
tences, and  rarely  demands  a  paragraph.  I  make  my 
little  remark  —  a  dozen  or  two  words  —  then  wait  for  my 
friend  to  hand  me  back  as  many  more.  .  .  .  The  brief 
groupings  of  words  which  we  make  up  in  our  talk  furnish 
capital  practice  in  precision,  boldness,  and  variety ;  but 
they  do  not  contain  room  enough  for  exercising  our  con- 
structive faculties."  The  constructive  faculties  must 
therefore  be  cultivated.  Any  person  of  average  brains 
can  acquire  thought  and  extend  his  vocabulary ;  and  if 
he  has  persistent  determination  and  opportunity,  can 
force  his  ideas  to  put  on  the  orderly  clothing  of  rocal 
utterance. 

REGIMES. 

r.  Acquiring  Thought.  Brains  count  immensely  in 
this  matter.  Your  first  source  of  trouble  consists  in  a 
lack  of  sufficient  thought.  For  this  deficiencj'  there  is  but 
one  practical  remedy.  You  should  read,  study,  think,  for 
the  purpose  of  accumulating  facts,  acquiring  opinions,  furnish- 
ing the  mind  with  thought.  It  is  not  enough  to  have  ideas  ; 
these  must  be  woven  into  some  actual  fabric  by  real  thinking. 
When  you  know  and  think  on  any  given  subject,  you  can 
talk  about  it  before  an  audience,  other  things  being  equal. 


The  Orator  is  One    Who  Knows.         307 

2.  Developing  Language.     But  other  things  seldom 
are  equal.     Hence,  the  next  difficulty  consists  in  a  lack  of 
language.     You   should   first   of  all,  now,    accumulate  a 
good    stock    of    words  —  words  —  words  —  as    the   raw 
material  of  expression.     If  you  are  pursuing  the  directions 
previously  suggested  as  to  attention  in  reading  and  de- 
velopment of  the  power  of  thought,  you  are  storing  up  in 
memory  many  words  which  are  not  heard  in  the  average 
conversation.     You  should  make  it  your  business  to  en- 
large your  vocabulary  by  a  large  number  of  unpretentious 
and  sober-minded  words.     In  order  to  this,  while  accu- 
mulating thought,  keep  a  good  dictionary  convenient  for 
reference,  and  permit  no  word  which  you  do  not  clearly 
understand  to  escape  your  zeal  as  collector.     But  avoid 
as  much   as  possible   odd  words,  long  words,  pedantic 
words. 

3.  Exercising  Expression.     Meanwhile  you  should 
seize  every  opportunity  for  practising  the  art  of  expression. 
Begin  with  every-day  conversation.     Refer  to  directions 
as  to  hesitation  and  exaggeration.     Do  not  try  to  talk  like 
a  magazine  article.     Avoid  the  stilted  style  as  strenuously 
as  the  slovenly.     Above  all,  study  and  strive  for  natural, 
easy  expression.     At  the  same  time  you  must  employ  your 
enriched  store  of  words  in  the  utterance  of  your  increased 
fund  of  thought.     This  demands  courage  and  Will.     "  We 
fall  into  the  way  of  thinking  that  the  wealthy  words  are 
for  others,  and  that  they  do  not  belong  to  us."     "  When 
we  use  a  word  for  the  first  time  we  are  startled,  as  if  a 
fire-cracker  went  off  in  our  neighborhood.     We  look  about 
hastily  to  see  if  any  one  has  noticed.     But  finding  that 
no  one  has,  we  may  be  emboldened.     A  word  used  three 
times  slips  off  the  tongue  with  entire  naturalness.     Then 
it  is  ours  forever,  and  with  it  some  phase  of  life  which 


308  The    Will  in  Public  Speaking. 

had  been  lacking  hitherto."  You  should  cultivate,  there- 
fore, the  courage  of  a  speech  which  is  unusual  to  some  of 
your  circles.  But  always  should  you  hold  in  mind  the 
effort  to  state  with  freedom  the  exact  truth  or  fact  in  the 
least  redundant  manner.  Make  this  a  goal,  never  for  a 
moment  to  be  forgotten. 

4.  Mental  Speaking.     In  the  next  place,  you  should 
practise  thinking  in  terms  of  words.     Do  not  be  content 
with  mere  notions  about  things.     Think  matters  out  ver- 
bally.    When  alone,  think  a  sentence  through,  and  then 
speak  it  aloud.     Proceed  immediately  to  improve  the  state- 
ment.    Go  on  with  another  related  thought ;  work  it  out 
mentally  in  words ;  then  repeat  and  improve,  as  before. 
Become  accustomed  to  your  own  voice  under  conscious 
conditions.     In  public  speaking  you  are  conscious  of  your 
own  voice  and  gesture,  and  this  disturbs  you.     You  should 
cease  to  be  aware  of  self  before  an  audience.     To  do  so, 
you  should  become  perfectly  familiar  with  yourself  in  the 
labor  of  preparation. 

5.  The   Plow  of   Mental    Word- Using.     Vary   the 
above  frequently  by  thinking  your  way  through  an  entire 
subject  without  the  practice  of  speaking.     Do  not  be  con- 
tent with  supposing  that  you  know  an  item  or  phase  of 
the  subject  well  enough,  and  may  therefore  pass  it  by. 
You  will  often  be  surprised  to  discover  in  public  speaking 
that  the  thing  has  suddenly  become  as  dense  as  granite, 
and  at  that  point  you  will  hesitate  and  lose  control  of  your 
thought.     Let  this  be  a  rigid  rule  in  all  your  preparation  : 
Plow  up  every  inch  of  ground  by  the  actual  use  in  mind 
of  words  put  together  to  express  your  thought  as  you  wish 
to  deliver  it  on  the  public  occasion.     But  do  not  try  to 
memorize  the  words  employed  in  preparatory  thinking. 
This  would  unsettle  your  public  thinking  and  rob  your 


The   Orator  is   One    Who  Knows.        309 

speech  of  ease,  vivacity  and  force.  There  is  a  dangerous 
middle  between  memoriter  speaking  and  prepared  extem- 
poraneous utterance ;  the  mind  labors  to  recall  words  not 
thoroughly  memorized,  and  at  the  same  time,  strives  for 
the  freedom  of  the  moment,  and  it  thus  lacks  the  exact- 
ness of  the  one  thing  and  the  force  of  the  other.  Think 
in  words  to  prepare,  but  memorize  nothing  except  the 
thought.  Recollection  of  thought,  however,  must  follow 
as  a  result  of  your  labor  in  thinking,  and  especially  of 
some  sort  of  logical  association,  rather  than  of  deliberate 
effort  to  commit  to  memory. 

6.  Making  Connecting  Links.     It    may   be    well  to 
fasten  in  the  mind  a  few  catch-words,  or  connecting  links, 
which  come  up  naturally  in  thought,  as  a  means  of  guid- 
ance when  before  an  audience.     But  it  is  better,  after  all, 
to  make  your  arrangement  of  thought  such  that,  to  your- 
self at  least,  one  thing  suggests  another.     Nevertheless, 
you  should,  in  preparation,  look  well  to  your  connections 
and  transitions.     Frequently    one  paragraph  follows  an- 
other naturally  enough,  but  you  find  difficulty  in  letting 
go  of  one  and  in  getting  into  the  other.     This  is  because 
you  have  not  thought  your  way  through  the  transitions, 
and  you  do  not  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  know  how  to 
do  it.     Make  sure,  then,  before  you  begin  to  speak,  that 
you  are   familiar    with  the   links  between  thoughts  and 
paragraphs. 

7.  Actual  Practice.     Seize   every   opportunity   for 
public  speaking  that  comes  in  your  way.     Practice  in  pre- 
pared utterance  will  be  of  invaluable  service  to  you.     Be 
equally  on  the  alert  for  opportunities  to  speak  on  the  spur 
of  the  moment.     Resolve  to  learn  to  think  on  your  feet 
with  your  voice  in  your  ears. 


310  The    Will  in  Public  Speaking. 

8.  Cultivating  Imagination.     A  further  difficulty  re- 
lates to  the  imagination.     You  should  cultivate  this  faculty, 
according  to  directions  given  for  that  purpose.     You  have 
now  an  opportunity  for  its  exercise.     Professor  Palmer 
well  says :     "  Most  of  us  are  grievously  lacking  in  imagi- 
nation, which  is  the  ability  to  go  outside  of  ourselves  and 
take  on  the  conditions  of  another  mind."     In  your  plow- 
ing-up  process  of  thought  you  should  strive  always  to  per- 
ceive in  the  mind  every  detail  on  which  you  are  to  speak. 
You  must  not  only  think  matters  out  in  words,  but  also 
realize  all  your  subjects  of  discussion.     If  truth  —  feel  it ; 
if   love  —  experience  it ;    if  joy  —  possess  its  emotions  ; 
and  thus  with  all  elements  of  the  thing  in  hand,  except  evil. 

9.  Working  up  Illustrations.     This  rule  is  especially 
applicable  to  illustrations.     Do  not  try  to  talk  about  an 
incident  in  life  without  becoming  part  of  it  —  without  see- 
ing it  clearly  and  vividly.     But  you  must  not  be  content 
with  such  a  realization  of  the  incident —  can  you  relate  it? 
You  are  to  think  it  all  out,  not  to  memorize,  but  to  assure 
yourself  that  you  have  the  ability  to  describe  it  as  seen  in 
mind.     Do  not  be  content  with  a  vague  picture  of  nature, 
but  call  up  before  the  mind  all  necessary  details  and  state 
them  in  words.     Only  thus  may  you  know  that  you  can 
describe  that  scene.     When  you  have  gotten  it  clearly  into 
language,  determine  what  salient  points  you  will  suggest 
to  your  audience.     Avoid  the  photographic  style  ;  remem- 
ber that  those  to  whom  you  are  speaking  possess  some 
imagination ;    they  resent  an  opposite  assumption ;  they 
delight  in  painting,  with  lightning  strokes,  a  reality  which 
you  have  merely  sketched. 

These  suggestions  as  to  thought-preparation  in  words 
may  be  illustrated  in  the  following  manner :  Let  us  sup- 
pose your  audience  to  be  a  woodland  lake,  with  various 


The  Orator  is   One    Who  Knows.         311 

objects  upon  its  surface,  such  as  leaves,  twigs,  pieces  of 
bark,  etc.  You  wish  to  set  its  surface  in  motion,  in 
waves  and  ripples,  by  striking  one  of  these  objects  here 
and  there.  But  you  have  no  materials  with  which  to  do 
this.  The  shore  is  a  clean  slope  of  sand,  and  not  a 
throwable  thing  upon  it.  You  therefore  gather  such 
material  from  any  distant  source,  making  a  mound  ready 
for  use.  Now,  you  have  not  said  :  "  This  stone  I  gather 
for  the  purpose  of  hurling  in  a  certain  direction  ;  that 
piece  of  bark  to  toss  upon  a  given  leaf  ;  and  that  clump 
of  soil  to  cause  a  particular  kind  of  wave."  You  do  not 
arrange  these  details  beforehand.  You  gather  abundance 
of  material,  with  a  given  general  purpose  in  view.  You 
then  manipulate  that  material  in  the  manner  best  adapted 
to  the  end  sought,  leaving  particulars  to  be  determined  by 
the  demands  of  the  occasion. 

Observe.  In  thought-preparation  for  public  speaking, 
you  are  not  to  memorize  in  any  arbitrary  way ;  you  are 
simply  to  assure  yourself  that  you  know  and  can  express 
thought  on  a  given  subject.  On  the  public  occasion  you 
find  thought  and  language  ready  for  use  because  you 
have  gathered  them  and  they  are  separated  from  surround- 
ing materials,  loosely  placed,  so  to  speak,  for  instant 
employment. 

Many  speakers  cease  preparation  with  a  general 
outline  of  the  subject  in  hand.  This  is  slovenliness,  and 
they  fail  of  reaching  the  highest  mark  of  eloquence  be- 
cause they  are  poor  in  material.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they 
have  at  that  point  merely  gotten  ready  for  honest,  hard 
work  in  preparatory  thinking.  Make  sure,  therefore,  of 
details,  look  well  to  your  illustrations,  have  a  care  for  the 
connections,  and,  above  all,  fill  the  mind  with  abundance 
of  thought  which  has  been  thoroughly  cast  into  words 
and  sentences. 


312  The    Will  in  Public  Speaking. 

"  When  Nestor  stood  before  the  Greek  generals  and 
counseled  attack  upon  Troy,  he  said :  '  The  secret  of 
victory  is  in  getting  a  good  ready.'  Wendell  Phillips  was 
once  asked  how  he  acquired  his  skill  in  the  oratory  of  the 
Lost  Arts.  The  answer  was :  '  By  getting  a  hundred 
nights  of  delivery  back  of  me.' " 

10.  Overcoming  Stage-Fright.  The  difficulty  which 
seems  most  prevalent,  however,  is  that  of  fear  of  the 
audience.  Here  is  a  curious  thing.  You  are  not  afraid 
of  any  particular  individual  in  the  audience,  perhaps,  but 
the  multitude  of  ordinary  men  and  women  shortens  your 
breath,  causes  your  heart  to  pound  in  your  breast,  and 
dries  up  the  secretions  of  your  mouth,  till  you  are  com- 
pelled to  fashion  words,  as  it  were,  out  of  raw  cotton. 

The  difficulty  is  three-fold. 

First,  you  do  not  become  familiar  with  your  audience 
prior  to  facing  it.  You  must  keep  it  and  the  coming 
occasion  constantly  in  mind  while  making  preparation. 
See  that  crowd  of  people,  here  and  now ;  see  it  clearly 
and  vividly.  Then  think  out  your  subject  in  words 
addressed  mentally  to  that  sea  of  upturned  faces.  Re- 
member forever  that  you  do  n't  look  half  as  much  fright- 
ened as  you  are  ;  that  the  people  do  not  gaze  into  your 
skull ;  that  if  you  fling  in  a  word  with  meaningless  des- 
peration now  and  then  they  will  not,  ninety-nine  cases  in 
the  hundred,  know  the  fact ;  and  that,  if  you  do  not  abso- 
lutely fail  and  fall  flat  (and  you  will  not  if  you  fiercely  will 
otherwise),  you  will  be  doing  vastly  better  than  seventy- 
five  per  cent,  of  your  auditors  could  do. 

Secondly,  you  are  not  in  good  practice.  You  must 
avail  yourself  of  every  opportunity  for  public  speaking. 
The  more  difficult  the  occasion  the  better.  Never  let  a 
chance  slip.  Forefend  against  surprises  by  preparing  for 


The   Orator  is   One    Who  Knows.        313 

all  occasions  wherein  you  may  be  called  out  or  secure  the 
floor.  Do  n't  be  a  bore  —  if  it  is  possible  to  avoid  it ;  but, 
continue  this  practice,  whether  or  no.  Whenever  you  fail, 
laugh  the  discomfiture  off  —  people  will  not  remember  it 
forever —  and  seize  the  next  opportunity.  Discover  why 
you  failed,  and  profit  by  experience.  Analyze  your  suc- 
cess, and  make  sure  of  your  forte.  Follow  with  the  per- 
sistence of  the  fox-hound  the  determination  to  win. 

Thirdly,  you  are  lacking  in  good  Will-power.  You 
must  summons  Will  to  the  mastery  of  all  difficulties. 
Changeless  resolution  is  necessary  in  all  preparation. 
This  is  merely  a  matter  of  sticking  to  a  purpose.  But  the 
latter  does  not  exhaust  the  difficulties.  You  suppose 
yourself  ready  for  the  trial,  and,  in  a  sense,  you  are.  It  is 
in  the  concrete  act  of  speaking  that  your  trouble  begins. 
You  are  afraid  of  man.  Your  Will  suddenly  becomes 
flabby,  your  force  of  spirit  evaporates,  and  you  cannot 
command  your  preparation.  At  this  point  bull-dog  deter- 
mination is  required.  Do  not  deserve  defeat  before  utter- 
ing a  word.  Do  n't  permit  a  feeling  of  collapse  at  the 
start.  Put  Will  at  the  fore.  Mentally  defy  the  entire 
crowd.  Fetch  up  all  the  egotism  you  possess.  Fiercely 
challenge  all  foes.  Keep  cool  at  the  outset.  Take  time 
to  get  a  good  send-off  —  it  is  your  occasion.  Put  your 
thought  into  carefully  chosen  words  ;  be  in  no  hurry ; 
proceed  with  deliberation  enough  to  gain  self-control  and 
keep  it.  If  you  get  on  the  track  nicely,  you  will  warm  up 
after  a  little,  and  your  audience  will  come  to  your  assist- 
ance. Look  the  people  straight  in  the  eyes.  Will  to  stand 
to  it  then  and  there.  Will  to  keep  your  mental  vision  on 
a  thought  ahead.  Resolutely  appropriate  the  occasion  as 
your  own,  and  willfully  use  it  as  such.  If  the  right  word 
fails  you,  throw  in  another  as  nearly  right  as  may  be,  or 
as  meaningless  as  printers'  "  pie."  If  any  one  looks 


JX4  The    Will  in  Public  Sneaking. 

weary,  ignore  that  person  as  an  imbecile.  Cleave  to  the 
friendlj  face,  though  it  be  that  of  a  fool.  Remember, 
everybody  desires  that  you  should  do  well,  for  an  audience 
suffers  under  a  public  collapse.  Believe  that  fact.  Keep 
faith  in  yourself.  Storm  the  situation.  Resolve  to  win 
on  the  spot. 

If  you  are  called  upon  to  speak  at  a  late  hour,  when  the 
people  are  weary  and  your  enthusiasm  is  low  — do  n't  speak. 

n.  Confidence  in  Audience.  Both  in  preparation 
and  in  delivery,  the  speaker  should  have  confidence  in  and 
respect  for  his  audience.  Austin  Phelps,  Professor  of 
Sacred  Rhetoric  in  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  wrote : 
"  When  President  Lincoln  was  once  inquired  of  what  was 
the  secret  of  his  success  as  a  popular  debater,  he  replied, 
1  I  always  assume  that  my  audience  are  in  many  things 
wiser  than  I  am,  and  I  say  the  most  sensible  thing  I  can 
to  them.'  Two  things  here  were  all  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
conscious  of  —  respect  for  the  intellect  of  his  audience, 
and  the  effort  to  say  the  most  sensible  thing.  He  could 
not  know  how  these  two  things  affected  the  respect  of  his 
audience  for  Aim,  their  trust  in  him  as  their  superior,  and 
their  inclination  to  obey  him  on  the  instant  when  they 
felt  the  magnetism  of  his  voice.  But  he  saw  that,  say 
what  he  might  in  that  mood,  he  got  a  hearing,  he  was 
understood,  he  was  obeyed." 

12.  Courage.  The  mind  that  would  influence  others 
by  public  speech  must  be  fearless.  In  the  author's  work 
"  The  Culture  of  Courage"  will  be  found  practical  direc- 
tions for  the  development  of  a  courageous  spirit.  Said  the 
Emperor  of  Austria  to  Baron  Wesselenyi,  a  Hungarian 
patriot,  "  Take  care,  Baron  Wesselenyi,  take  care  what 
you  are  about.  Recollect  that  many  of  your  family  have 
been  unfortunate."  "  Unfortunate,  your  majesty,  they 


The   Orator  is   One    Who  Knows.        315 

have  been,  but  ever  undeserving  of  their  misfortunes." 
And  the  Baron  would  not  apologize  for  this  bold  defense 
of  his  family's  honor,  even  when  attacked  by  his  sovereign. 

13.  Profound  Convictions.  If  you  have  great  feeling 
in  the  beliefs  you  present,  you  inspire  others  with  at  least 
similar  emotions.  Could  anything  be  more  effective  than 
the  following  from  Louis  Kossuth's  description  of  his  own 
appeal  to  his  people  : 

"  Reluctant  to  present  the  neck  of  the  realm  to  the 
deadly  stroke  which  aimed  at  its  very  life,  and  anxious  to 
bear  up  against  the  horrors  of  fate,  and  manfully  to  fight 
the  battle  of  legitimate  defence,  scarcely  had  I  spoken  the 
word  —  scarcely  had  I  added  that  the  defence  would  re 
quire  200,000  men,  and  80,000,000  of  florins,  when  the 
spirit  of  freedom  moved  through  the  hall,  and  nearly  400 
representatives  rose  as  one  man,  and  lifting  their  right 
arms  towards  God,  solemnly  said,  '  We  grant  it,  freedom 
or  death  1 '  Thus  they  spoke,  and  there  they  stood  in 
calm  and  silent  majesty,  awaiting  what  further  word  might 
fall  from  my  lips.  And  for  myself;  it  was  my  duty  to 
speak,  but  the  grandeur  of  the  moment  and  the  rushing 
waves  of  sentiment  benumbed  my  tongue.  A  burning 
tear  fell  from  my  eyes,  a  sigh  of  adoration  to  the  Almighty 
Lord  fluttered  on  my  lips  ;  and,  bowing  low  before  the 
majesty  of  my  people,  as  I  bow  now  before  you,  gentle- 
men, I  left  the  tribunal  silently,  speechless,  mute.  Pardon 
me  my  emotion  —  the  shadows  of  our  martyrs  passed  be- 
fore my  eyes  ;  I  heard  the  millions  of  my  native  land  once 
more  shouting  '  liberty  or  death  1  '  ' 

In  the  entire  subject,  from  first  to  last,  keep  at  the 
fore  the  strong  Mood  of  Will,  the  sense  of  resolute  per- 
sonality. Hold  the  mind  steadily  upon  the  motto  of  these 
pages:  "  I  RESOLVE  TO  WILL !  ATTENTION ! !  " 


KNIGHTED. 


Oh,  life's  perennial  Knight,  Sir  Any  Man, 

Trust  thou  nor  Opportunity  nor  Fate  : 
The  one,  a  mere  detail  in  Nature's  Plan, 

The  other,  error's  name  for  Best  Estate. 
Cornplainer  !    Know'st  thou  not  the  oath,  "7 can" 

Shall  win  brave  Kingdoms  to  thy   Will  elate 
If  Good  Soul  do  but  scorn  their  wizard  ban  ? 

On  thee,  the  Master,  see,  they  fawn  and  -wait! 


I  sing  no  Law  of  Accident  or  Birth, 

No  Gift  of  Fortune  by  Divine  Decree. 
I  sing  the  Call  of  Courage,  Honor,  Worth, 
The  world-wide  Call  of  our  old  Mother,  Earth. 
Heed  thou,  Sir  Knight,  this  Golden  Prophecy  : 
The  Throne  to  him  who  forces  Destiny  ! 

—THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CONTROL  OF  OTHERS. 

IF  YOU  would  work  on  any  man,  you  must 
either  know  his  nature  and  fashions,  and  so 
lead  him  ;  or  his  ends,  and  so  persuade  him ; 

or  his  weaknesses  and  disadvantages,  and  so  awe  him  ; 

or  those  that  have  interest  in  him,  and  so  govern  him." — 

Francis  Bacon. 

The  preceding  directions  and  illustrations  relate  to 
the  control  of  one's  self.  Will-power  is  constantly  shown 
to  embrace  others  as  well.  Here  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  modern  subjects  of  inquiry. 

This  chapter  deals  with  plain  matters.  Its  subject 
will  be  treated  further  in  the  volume  on  "The  Personal 
Atmosphere"  There  are  many  things  in  our  life  that 
are  not  elucidated  by  what  some  are  pleased  to  call 
"  Common  Sense,"  and  these  will  in  part  appear  in  the 
discussion  of  that  work. 

At  the  outset  we  may  observe  certain  broad  prin- 
ciples. Without  exception,  these  principles  are  possible 
to  the  large  and  determined  Will.  According  to  your 
Will-faith,  so  be  it  I 

GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

First  Principle  —  Belief.  Genuine  belief  in  the  thing 
in  hand  makes  mightily  for  success  in  the  contact  with  others. 
Said  Emerson  :  "  I  have  heard  an  experienced  counsellor 


318  Control  of  Others. 

say,  that  he  never  feared  the  effect  upon  a  jury  of  a  law- 
yer who  does  not  believe  in  his  heart  that  his  client  ought 
to  have  a  verdict.  If  he  does  not  believe  it,  his  unbelief 
will  appear  to  the  jury,  despite  all  his  protestations,  and 
will  become  their  unbelief.  This  is  that  law  whereby  a 
work  of  art,  of  whatever  kind,  sets  us  in  the  same  state  of 
mind  wherein  the  artist  was  when  he  made  it.  That 
which  we  do  not  believe,  we  cannot  adequately  say 
though  we  may  repeat  the  words  never  so  often.  It  was 
this  conviction  which  Swedenborg  expressed,  when  he 
described  a  group  of  persons  in  the  spiritual  world  en- 
deavoring in  vain  to  articulate  a  proposition  which  they 
did  not  believe ;  but  they  could  not,  though  they  twisted 
and  folded  their  lips  even  to  indignation." 

Second  Principle  —  Confidence.  A  prime  element  in 
personal  influence  is  confidence.  Pizarro,  the  Spanish  ad- 
venturer, left  with  one  vessel  and  a  few  followers  on  the 
island  of  Gallo,  where  the  greatest  dangers  and  suffering 
had  been  endured,  was  offered  relief  by  an  expedition 
from  Panama.  "  Drawing  his  sword,  he  traced  a  line  with 
it  on  the  sand  from  east  to  west.  Then,  turning  towards 
the  south,  '  Friends  and  comrades  ! '  he  said,  '  on  that 
side  are  toil,  hunger,  nakedness,  the  drenching  storm, 
desertion  and  death  ;  on  this  side,  ease  and  pleasure. 
There  lies  Peru  with  its  riches  ;  here  Panama  and  its  pov- 
erty. Choose,  each  man,  what  best  becomes  a  brave 
Castilian.  For  my  part,  I  go  to  the  south.'  So  saying, 
he  stepped  across  the  line."  And  they  followed  him. 

Third  Principle  —  Enthusiasm.  Enthusiasm  is  also  a 
large  factor  in  the  matter.  Samuel  Smiles  wrote  very 
practically  :  "  There  is  a  contagiousness  in  every  example 
of  energetic  conduct.  The  brave  man  is  an  inspiration 
to  the  weak,  and  compels  them,  as  it  were,  to  follow  him. 


The   Golden  Rule    Wins  Empires.        319 

Thus  Napier  relates  that  at  the  combat  of  Vera,  when  th« 
Spanish  centre  was  broken  and  in  flight,  a  young  officer, 
named  Havelock,  sprang  forward,  and,  waving  his  hat, 
called  upon  the  Spaniards  to  follow  him.  Putting  spurs 
to  his  horse,  he  leaped  the  abattis  which  protected  the 
French  front,  and  went  headlong  against  them.  The 
Spaniards  were  electrified ;  in  a  moment  they  dashed 
after  him,  cheering  for  ' El  chico  bianco!'  (the  fair  boy), 
and  with  one  shock  they  broke  through  the  French  and 
sent  them  flying  down  hill." 

Fourth  Principle  —  Self-Mastery ,  Hence  the  secret 
of  a  large  control  of  others  is  found  in  the  moral  mastery  of 
self. 

It  has  been  well  written  :  "  Keep  cool,  and  you  com- 
mand everybody."  A  recent  author  quotes  a  good  remark 
of  Clarendon,  who  said  of  Hampden  :  "  He  was  supreme 
governor  over  his  passions,  and  he  had  thereby  great  power 
over  other  men's."  Man  may  be  controlled  in  an  ignoble 
way  by  studying  and  ministering  to  his  weaknesses,  but  a 
noble  use  of  self-mastery  has  sublime  privilege  in  exerting 
good  influence  over  the  weak  spot  and  the  foible  of 
humanity.  In  either  instance  the  strong  man  is  that  one 
whose  Will  is  steady  and  purposeful.  Sooner  or  later, 
however,  men  discover  their  degradation  in  manipulated 
weakness,  and,  resenting  the  imposition,  throw  off  the 
yoke,  whenever  the  motive  of  fear  ceases  to  restrain  them. 

Fifth  Principle — Motives.  The  character  of  man's 
influence  over  his  fellows  depends  upon  the  motives  which  he 
suggests  for  their  action. 

One  may  dominate  multitudes  by  fear  —  Nero  ruled 
Rome  as  a  buffoon  and  a  madman.  Or,  love  may  become 
the  controlling  force  in  personal  loyalty  —  Jesus  swayed 
thousands  by  the  inspiration  of  His  Divine  goodness.  IB 


320  Control  of  Others. 

the  one  case  influence  is  coercion,  ceasing  so  soon  as  fear 
disappears,  or  assuming  such  power  as  to  break  in  desper- 
ation with  its  own  dictates  ;  in  the  other  case  motives  of 
fidelity  are  multiplied,  and  they  become  stronger  as  love's 
gracious  spell  continues. 

Sixth  Principle  —  Insight.  The  control  of  others 
demands  ability  to  penetrate  their  motives  and  discover  their 
plans.  Of  Mirabeau  it  was  said :  "  It  was  by  the  same 
instinctive  penetration  that  Mirabeau  so  easily  detected 
the  feelings  of  the  assembly,  and  so  often  embarrassed  his 
opponents  by  revealing  their  secret  motives,  and  laying 
open  that  which  they  were  most  anxious  to  conceal. 
There  seemed  to  exist  no  political  enigma  which  he 
could  not  solve.  He  came  at  once  to  the  most  intimate 
secrets,  and  his  sagacity  alone  was  of  more  use  to  him 
than  a  multitude  of  spies  in  the  enemy's  camp.  .  .  .  He 
detected  in  a  moment  every  shade  of  character ;  and,  to 
express  the  result  of  his  observations,  he  had  invented  a 
language  scarcely  intelligible  to  any  one  but  himself ;  had 
terms  to  indicate  fractions  of  talents,  qualities,  virtues,  or 
vices  —  halves  and  quarters  —  and,  at  a  glance,  he  could 
perceive  every  real  or  apparent  contradiction.  No  form 
of  vanity,  disguised  ambition,  or  tortuous  proceedings 
could  escape  his  penetration  ;  but  he  could  also  perceive 
good  qualities,  and  no  man  had  a  higher  esteem  for 
energetic  and  virtuous  characters."  This  ability  may  be 
successfully  cultivated. 

Seventh  Principle  —  Cooperation.  Permanent  influence 
over  others  flows  from  the  enlistment  of  their  strength.  The 
supremest  individual  power  in  this  respect  is  gauged  by 
the  pleasure  which  it  offers  as  inducement  to  surrender, 
or  by  the  sense  of  right  to  which  appeal  is  made  for  alli- 
ance, or  by  suggestion  of  highest  self-interest  as  a  reason 


The   Golden  Rule    Wins  Empires.        321 

for  loyalty.  The  best  rule  in  the  control  of  others  is  the 
Golden  Rule.  In  the  long  run,  life  reciprocates  with 
those  who  do  unto  others  as  they  would  that  others  should 
do  unto  them.  That  power  of  Will  which  can  compel  one  to 
be  polite,  considerate,  patient,  helpful,  luminously  cheerful, 
is  sure  to  cast  a  large  and  agreeable  spell  upon  our  fellows. 
It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  these  suggestions  seek 
to  put  a  premium  upon  what  is  called  "  policy."  Men  are 
not  all  selfishness.  There  is  a  divine  reason  in  humanity 
which  makes  it  amenable  to  the  kingly  sway  of  sincerity, 
reality  and  righteousness.  Not  a  few  individuals  in  high 
positions  to-day  there  are  whose  chief  capital  is  their  un- 
blemished manliness.  The  native  vigor  of  down-right 
honesty  creates  a  current  of  attraction  which  it  is  hard  to 
resist.  The  people  put  faith  in  Grant,  because,  no  doubt, 
of  manifest  ability,  but  also  for  the  reason  that  they  saw 
in  the  silent  commander  an  actual  man.  When  a  soul 
succeeds  in  convincing  others  that  it  is  genuinely  possessed 
by  an  eternal  truth  or  principle,  the  Infinite  steps  in  and 
accords  him  a  public  coronation  as  leader.  Saul  among 
the  Jews  was  simply  fantastic ;  David  was  a  real  argu- 
ment for  a  king  and  a  throne.  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  with 
culture  and  political  machinery  behind  him,  was  no  match 
for  Lincoln,  because  in  this  man  burned  the  unquenchable 
fires  which  blazed  in  the  heart  of  the  North.  It  was  the 
"  Little  Giant "  against  "  Honest  Old  Abe  "  and  the  great 
slavery-hating  States.  Here  the  Will,  that  years  before 
had  shaken  its  clenched  fist  at  the  "  Institution,"  rose  to 
grandeur  and  assumed  the  robes  of  prophet  and  deliverer. 

Eighth  Principle —  Will-Power.  The  resolute  Willis 
leader  by  Nature's  choice.  If  itself  is  throned  in  righteous- 
ness, its  sway  is  certain  and  permanent  —  in  a  modified 
sense  at  times,  to  be  sure,  but  not  infrequently  with  limits 


322  Control  of  Others. 

outlasting  the  span  of  its  possessor's  life.  Cromwell's  Will 
made  him  "  Ironsides."  William  of  Orange  competed 
with  the  subtlety,  patience  and  tireless  pertinacity  of  Philip 
the  Second,  and  won  a  lasting  influence  which  the  Spanish 
king  could  not  destroy  by  power  of  wealth,  position  or 
ecclesiastical  backing.  These  historic  dramas  are  huge 
representations  of  smaller  affairs  in  every  community.  In 
the  fullest  sense,  a  strong  Will  for  control  of  others  is  a 
right  Will. 

Yet  it  seems  true  that  not  all  such  control  is  explicable 
on  the  theory  of  plain  means  and  methods.  What  is  the 
secret  of  the  power  which  cowes  the  wild  beast,  compelling 
its  eye  to  wander  from  the  steady  gaze  of  man  ?  What 
bows  the  stubborn  purpose  of  the  would-be  criminal  when 
confronted  by  the  resolute  fearless  gaze  of  his  victim  — 
"in  that  deadly  Indian  hug  in  which  men  wrestle  with 
eyes"?  What  maintains  the  mastery  of  family,  school, 
prison,  when  some  quiet  spirit  walks  among  their  inmates  ? 
It  is  not  always  fear,  for  his  punishments  may  not  be  un- 
duly severe.  It  is  not  always  love,  for  he  sometimes  fails 
to  inspire  affection.  It  is  personality  centered  in  unyield- 
ing Will-power.  Other  elements  of  explanation  are  fre- 
quently possible,  but  there  are  dominant  minds  whose 
only  explanation  is  —  themselves. 

Mirabeau,  speaking  at  Marseilles,  was  called  "  calum- 
niator, liar,  assassin,  scoundrel."  He  said,  "  I  wait,  Mes- 
sieurs, till  these  amenities  be  exhausted."  The  Will  of 
Mirabeau  was  phenomenal.  "  His  whole  person  gave 
you  the  idea  of  an  irregular  power,  but  a  power  such  as 
you  would  figure  as  a  Tribune  of  the  People." 

Of  Wellington,  Victor  Hugo  remarked :  "  The  battle 
of  Waterloo  was  won  by  a  captain  of  the  second  class." 
But,  Hugo,  who  set  out  to  be  the  greatest  man  of  his  time, 
and  who  wrote  the  greatest  work  of  prose  fiction  that  has 


The   Golden  Jtucc    Wins  Empires.         323 

been  produced  for  an  hundred  years,  was  here  biased  by 
the  Napoleonic  tradition.  Wellington's  campaigns  were 
skillfully  planned  and  carried  out  with  a  pertinacious 
patience  calculated  to  wear  to  shreds  the  hostilities  of 
many  Bonapartes.  When  asked,  during  Waterloo,  what 
should  be  done  in  case  of  his  death,  he  replied :  lt  Do  as 
I  am  doing."  Here  was  the  culmination  of  that  spirit 
which  could  say  to  a  madman  coming  into  his  presence 
with  the  remark,  "  I  am  sent  to  kill  you,"  "  Kill  me  ? 
Very  odd."  In  such  men  the  static  Will  exhibits  the 
Gibraltar  on  which  mind  is  fortified  in  action.  It  is  a 
power  seemingly  capable  of  achievements  by  means  that 
are  superior  to  ordinary  appeals.  It  discharges,  as  it  may 
be  said,  like  a  battery,  either  to  overwhelm  or  to  win,  by 
sheer  resolution.  Unseen,  without  gesture,  it  speaks :  "  I 
am  your  master.  I  claim  you  for  my  friendship,  my  fol- 
lowing, my  uses."  And  the  thing  is  even  so. 

The  phenomena  of  hypnotism  are  familiar.  It  is  now 
distinctly  asserted  that  "  no  one  can  be  hypnotized  against 
his  Will ;  no  one  can  be  hypnotized  without  he  complies 
with  certain  conditions  and  does  his  part  to  bring  about 
the  subjective  state.  To  be  hypnotized  in  no  respect 
shows  a  weakness ;  weak-minded  people  (contrary  to  the 
opinion  of  some)  do  not  make  good  senskives ;  the  most 
susceptible  subjects  are  intelligent  people  having  strong 
minds  and  Will-power,  with  the  ability  to  maintain  a  cer- 
tain passivity  as  to  results  ;  hypnotism  is  not  a  conflict  of 
Will-powers  in  which  the  stronger  overcomes  the  weaker. 
The  person  hypnotized  may  have  a  very  much  stronger 
Will  than  the  operator." 

Hypnotism  thus  seems  to  depend  largely  at  least 
upon  prearranged  conditions.  But  here  is  the  secret  of 
"  personal  magnetism."  One  is  truly  magnetic  who  estab- 
lishes the  best  condition  of  mind  among  those  with  whom 


324  Control  of  Others. 

he  comes  in  contact.  Here  arises  the  necessity  for  a 
good  personal  address,  a  right  personal  atmosphere,  a 
plausibility  of  argument,  dexterity  in  avoiding  disagreeable 
matters,  the  ability  to  present  pleasing  motives  for  action 
by  others,  and  qualifications  of  the  like  kind.  The  real 
secrets  of  results  of  "  personal  magnetism  "  are  to  be  found 
not  only  in  yourself,  but  as  well  in  the  "  other  fellow  " ;  if 
you  can  readily  make  him  feel  as  you  feel  and  think  as 
you  think,  without  suggesting  the  fact  to  him  that  you  are 
doing  so,  you  are  "  magnetic."  Hence  the  precepts  of 
average  social  and  business  success,  together  with  indom- 
itable Will  not  to  lose  control  of  self  and  forever  to  keep 
success  in  mind,  constitute  a  source  of  real  personal  mag- 
netism which  has  its  illustrations  everywhere  in  our  life. 

SUGGESTIONS. 

The  great  subject  of  personal  magnetism  is  elabo- 
rately and  practically  set  forth  in  the  author's  work, 
"  Power  for  Success"  to  which  the  student  is  referred. 

If  you  will  make  the  following  suggestions  a  part  of 
your  working  capital,  you  are  on  the  highway  of  agreeable 
and  satisfactory  relations  with  your  fellows.  Though  the 
matter  seems  simple  enough  in  theory,  it  will  tax  your 
perseverance  to  the  utmost  to  carry  it  out  to  practical 
results : 

1.  Never  show  temper. 

2.  Never  betray  envy  or  jealousy. 

3.  Indulge  in  no  sarcasms. 

4.  Keep  unpleasant  opinions  to  yourself. 

5.  Tell  no  man  an  uncomfortable  truth,  if  this  can 
with  honesty  be  avoided,  and  make  sure  that  you  disclose 
the  motive  of  a  well-wisher  if  you  must  utter  the  facts. 

6.  Make  no  remark  about  others  which  you  would 
not  instantly  make  in  their  presence. 


The   Golden  Rule    Wins  Empires.        325 

7.  Make  no  remark  about  others  which  you  must 
know   will,  if  instantly  reported  to  them,  cause   enmity 
against  you  or  injure  their  interests. 

8.  Never  criticise  to  a  man  his  wife,  to  a  wife  her 
husband,  to  a  parent  the  child,  to  the  child  its  parent,  nor 
to  any  person  a  relative  or  friend. 

9.  When   conversing  with  others  make  sure   with 
whom  you  are  talking  in  these  respects,  and  in  regard  to 
all  social,  business,  political  and  religious  matters. 

10.  Never  make  a  joke  that  hurts  any  one  present  or 
absent. 

n.  Never  relate  anything  which  might  not  with  pro- 
priety be  repeated  to  a  lady  just  introduced  to  you. 

12.  Make  no  promise  without  knowing  that  you  can 
fulfill  it.     Then  fail  not. 

13.  Make  your  word  good  promptly.     If  you  cannot, 
explain  to  the  person  involved. 

1 4.  Never  dodge  a  creditor. 

15.  Don't  be  a  bore. 

1 6.  Ride  your  hobby  in  the  back  yard. 

17.  Permit  other  people  to  have  views. 

18.  See  things   as  they  are;   tell  them  as  you  see 
them  —  when  good  sense  and  kindness  allow. 

19.  Put  a  heart  into  your  handshake. 

20.  Be  as  courteous  to  "  low  "  as  to  "  high." 

21.  Be   considerate   of   the   rights   and   feelings  of 
others.     How  about  your  barking  dog  ?  your  thrumming 
piano  ?  your  lusty  boy  ? 

22.  Carry  the  Golden  Rule  on  your  sleeve. 

23.  Never  rub  a  man  the  wrong  way. 

24.  Never  contradict  an  irritated  person. 

25.  Never  get  into  an  argument  in  a  parlor  nor  on 
the  street. 


326  Control  of  Others. 

26.  Never  ridicule  a  man's  pet  theory  nor  a  woman's 
foible. 

27.  Never   ridicule  a   person's    walk,    dress,    habit, 
speech. 

28.  Never  laugh  at  weakness. 

29.  Permit  yourself  to  sneer  at  nothing.     The  sneer 
is  the  devil's  laugh. 

30.  Never  hold  any  one  in  contempt.     At  least  con- 
ceal the  feeling  like  a  death's-head. 

3 1 .  Never  order  people  about    Your  clerk  is  no  dog. 

32.  Be  absolutely  honest  everywhere. 

33.  Be  gracious  and  accommodating. 

34.  Cultivate  generosity  of  pocket  and  of  thought. 

35.  On   sixty  dollars  a  month   don't  browbeat   the 
people.     You  are  only  a  ticket-agent,  a  steamboat  purser, 
a  hotel  clerk,  a  bank  teller.     Not  much,  after  all,  if  you 
are  to  treat  the  public  as  though  you  were  a  lord.     A 
good  deal  if  you  are  decent. 

36.  Do  n't  stalk  along  the  street  as  though  you  were 
superfine,  angelic,  distilled  wonder  of  imperial  blue-blood. 
You  are  exceedingly  lovely,  to  be  sure ;   yet  just  a  woman 
—  bones,  fat,  blood,  nerves,  weaknesses  and  blunders  — 
like  the  rest  of  womankind. 

37.  Never    antagonize   others  unless    principle    de- 
mands.    And  then,  hold  the  purpose  in  view,  "  To  win, 
not  to  alienate." 

38.  Never  pass  judgment  upon  others  without  first 
mentally  "  putting  yourself  in  his  place." 

39.  Never  utter  that  judgment  unless  you  are  con- 
vinced that  this  will  accomplish  some  good  or  satisfy  the 
reasonable  demands  of  a  definite  principle. 

40.  Never  permit  your  general  opinion  of  a  person  to 
blind  you  to  his  good  qualities. 

41.  In    discussions,  never   interrupt  a  speaker,  nor 


The   Golden  Rule    Wins  Empires.        327 

talk  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice.  If  you  cannot  speak  without 
interruption,  go  away,  or  keep  silence.  One  who  will  not 
hear  your  views  is  not  worth  the  trouble  of  excited  con- 
versation. 

42.  Preface  all  statement  of  difference  of  opinion  with 
a  conciliatory  word. 

43.  Never  insist  upon  doing  business  with  a  person 
who  evidently  does  not  wish  to  see  you  —  unless  you  are 
a  policeman,  a  sheriff,  a  tax-collector,  a  lawyer's  clerk,  a 
physician  or  a  messenger  of  death. 

44.  If  your  man  is  busy,  yet  makes  an  effort  to  be 
polite,  get  out  of  his  presence  as  quickly  and  pleasantly 
as  possible.     Go  again  when  he  feels  better. 

45.  Don't  try  to  do  business  with  a  madman. 

46.  Don't  try  to  conciliate  a  pig;   it  is  always  best 
to  let  him  alone. 

47.  Don't  sell  a  man  what  he  does  n't  want. 

48.  Don't  sell  a  man  an  inferior  article  which  he 
believes  to  be  a  superior. 

49.  Do  n't  ask  a  favor   from  a  person    whom   you 
have  n't  treated  properly. 

50.  Do  n't  try  to  fool  people  whose  business  it  is  to 
know  people. 

5 1 .  Always  grant  a  favor  if  reasonably  possible. 

52.  Always  use  pleasant  words ;  this  is  not  expensive, 
and  you  know  not  when  the  boomerang  may  return.     A 
bad  word  is  like  a  mule's  hind  feet ;  it  will  wait  years  for 
its  one  chance  —  and  it  usually  gets  that  chance. 

53.  Treat   every  man,  woman  and  child  as  though 
you  were  just  about  to  confer  a  great  favor  —  but  avoid 
all  condescension. 

54.  Make  sure  that  your  way  is  best  before  insisting 
upon  it.     Defer  such  insisting  until  you  have  won  over 
the  other  person. 


THE  WILL  OF   THE  CHILD. 


O,  the  will  of  a  child  is  the  wings  of  a  bird. 

And  the  fragrance  and  color  of  flowers, 
And  the  light  of  a  star,  and  the  love-song  heard 

In  a  life's  most  miraculous  hours. 
Would  you  banish  from  air  all  the  -wonder  of  flight  f 

Would  you  exile  all  beautiful  things? 
Would  you  make  of  youth's  morning  a  Stygian  night? 

Would  you  plunder  love's  crystalline  springs? 

O,  the  will  of  a  child  is  a  god  in  the  soul, 

And  a  woe  to  the  world  if  you  vanquish; 
When  the  gods  that  are  human  surrender  control 

All  that  's  human  in  living  shall  languish. 
Woo  the  deity  well  with  your  love  and  your  truth, 

Give  it  freedom  to  come  to  its  own, 
And  the  man  shall  have  power's  perennial  youth, 

And  the  woman  shall  honor  her  throne. 

For  the  will  is  the  self,  and  the  self  is  a  breath 

Of  the  Infinite  Breather  outgoing. 
On  the  day  when  the  will  topples  down  to  its  death 

Comes  disaster  surpassing  all  knowing. 
But  the  self  as  a  sovereign  power  reveals 

By  so  much  of  the  God  undefiled 
As  it  selfhood  Perceives,  as  it  liberty  feels  — 

O,  be  wise  with  the  will  of  a  child. 

—  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  CHILD'S  WILL. 

IE  ARE  all  born  to  be  educators,  to  be  parents, 
as  we  are  not  born  to  be  engineers,  or  sculp- 
tors, or  musicians,  or  painters.  Native  capa- 
city for  teaching  is  therefore  more  common  than  native 
capacity  for  any  other  calling.  .  .  .  But  in  most  people 
this  native  sympathy  is  either  dormant  or  blind  or  irregular 
in  its  action ;  it  needs  to  be  awakened,  to  be  cultivated, 
and  above  all  to  be  intelligently  directed.  .  .  .  The 
very  fact  that  this  instinct  is  so  very  strong,  and  all  but 
universal,  and  that  the  happiness  of  the  individual  and  of 
the  race  so  largely  depends  upon  its  development  and 
intelligent  guidance,  gives  greater  force  to  the  demand 
that  its  growth  may  be  fostered  by  favorable  conditions ; 
and  that  it  may  be  made  certain  and  reasonable  in  its 
action,  instead  of  being  left  blind  and  faltering,  as  it  surely 
will  be  without  rational  cultivation." — Principaljames  A. 
McClcllan. 

The  thought  of  the  present  chapter  is  not  juvenile 
education,  but  the  culture  of  the  child's  Will. 

In  this,  the  aim  is  suggestion  rather  than  exhaustive 
discussion. 

In  its  actual  life  the  young  child  is  little  more  than 
an  animal. 

It  is  endowed  with  a  Will  because  it  is  an  animal. 

It  is  endowed  with  reason  because  it  is  a  moral 
animal. 


330  The  Child's    Will. 

The  Will  of  the  human  animal  finds  sole  explanation 
in  its  moral  intelligence. 

Without  moral  nature,  reason  has  no  purpose.  With- 
out reason,  or  instinct,  the  Will  has  no  significance. 
Without  the  Will,  reason  is  impossible. 

Man  is  justified  in  his  moral  nature,  and  the  moral 
nature  becomes  possible  in  the  self-disposing  Will. 

The  first,  middle  and  last  idea  in  all  Will-training  of 
the  child,  therefore,  is  the  permanent  welfare  of  a  moral 
being. 

At  the  outset,  then,  certain  basal  requirements  are  to 
be  noted : 

That  the  parent  or  teacher  understand  at  least  some- 
what of  child-nature  in  general. 

That  the  parent  or  teacher  understand  as  far  as 
possible  the  particular  child  in  hand. 

That  the  parent  or  teacher  possess  a  right  Will. 

That  correct  methods  be  employed  in  culturing  the 
child's  Will. 

It  is,  moreover,  to  be  remembered  that  treatment  of 
the  child's  Will  cannot  be  reduced  to  prescribed  and 
specific  rules.  This  for  two  reasons  : 

Child-nature  and  child-Will  are  individual. 

Specific  rules  would  obscure  rather  than  settle  the 
problems  involved. 

At  this  point  appear  some 

COMMON  ERRORS. 

First  Error :  That  the  child's  Will  should  be  con- 
formed to  a  certain  standard  set  up  by  parent  or  teacher. 
This  implies  a  making  over  of  original  nature.  Original 
nature  can  be  cultivated  and  improved,  but  it  always 
determines  the  final  results. 

The    true    question  is  this :     What  is  the   peculiar 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  331 

Will-character  of  this  particular  child  ?  Or  how  can  this 
particular  Will  be  improved  ?  The  child's  individual  Will 
is  its  personal  motive-power.  It  is  not  like  a  boiler  in  a 
factory,  connected  with  a  good  or  bad  set  of  machinery, 
and  to  be  replaced  by  a  better,  or  remodeled,  if  not  satis- 
factory. It  is  a  living  thing,  and  is  indissolubly  related 
to  its  mental  mechanism ;  it  is  the  mind's  power  —  this 
mind's  power  —  to  determine,,  and  therefore  cannot  be 
conformed  to  any  standard  not  indicated  by  itself. 

.  Second  Error:  That  the  child's  Will  should  be 
broken.  "  Breaking  the  Will "  is  a  heresy  against  the 
nature  of  things  and  a  crime  against  man.  The  future 
adult's  success  depends  upon  his  own  kind  of  Will,  and 
upon  some  power  of  that  Will  as  a  human  function.  To 
"  break  the  Will "  is  to  destroy  the  soul's  power  of  self- 
direction  ;  that  is,  to  wreck  at  the  start  the  child's  chances 
of  success.  If  the  Will  is  properly  understood,  no  one 
will  wish  to  "  break  "  it. 

Teaching  the  child  obedience  does  not  demand  an 
assault  upon  its  Will,  either  with  the  calm  resistlessness 
of  an  iceberg  or  the  fierce  clash  of  arms  in  battle.  The 
sole  intrinsic  value  of  obedience  is  found  in  the  child's 
Will ;  it  does  not  reside  in  obedience  itself,  nor  in  the 
results  of  obedience  disconnected  from  Will.  The  one 
justifiable  goal  of  enforced  obedience  is  the  Will  in  the 
child  taught  to  will  the  right  thing.  A  Will  that  is  merely 
coerced  is  not  with  you,  and,  so  long  as  coercion  lasts, 
cannot  be  with  you.  In  other  words,  enforced  obedience 
does  not  in  itself  strengthen  Will,  except  in  the  spirit  of 
resistance.  Enforced  obedience  may  lead  to  reflection 
and  discovery  of  the  rightfulness  of  commands,  and  thus 
strengthen  the  Will  indirectly.  If  it  does  not,  or  may  not, 
lead  to  such  discovery,  it  is  worse  than  useless;  it  is 


332  The  ChildSs    Will. 

then  a  positive  injury  to  the  child.  The  child  should  be 
taught  the  nature  of  law,  but  a  greater  lesson  is  the  nature 
and  value  of  reason. 

Here  may  be  given 

THE  MAXIM  OF  BEST  CHILD   TRAINING. 

force,  physical  or  other,  sparing ;  reason,  abundant, 
patient  and  kind. 

The  application  of  this  maxim  must  always  depend 
upon  the  nature  of  the  individual  child.  The  more  diffi- 
cult the  case,  nevertheless,  the  more  urgent  the  maxim, 
and  the  greater  the  demand  that  grows  out  of  its  appli- 
cation, to  wit : 

The  parent  or  teacher  must  possess  reason — be 
reasonable  —  and  be  able  and  willing  to  show  the  same 
with  self-control  and  confidence  in  reason's  power. 

Do  not,  then,  attempt  to  conform  the  child's  Will ; 
patiently  train  it. 

Do  not  try  to  break  the  child's  Will ;  seek  its  intelli- 
gent development. 

Do  not  leave  the  child's  Will-action  to  its  own  im- 
pulses ;  culture  it  to  symmetrical  conditions. 

Always  regard  the  child's  Will  as  an  unspeakably 
holy  thing. 

Do  not  relegate  the  child's  Will  to  chance  methods  ; 
give  it  a  thoughtful  and  deliberate  education  —  the  edu- 
cation of  a  Prince  Royal  of  the  Blood.  Such  an  education 
involves 

THREE  FUNDAMENTAL  PROCESSES. 

First,  the  training  process ; 
Second,  the  developing  process  ; 
Third,  the  process  of  symmetry. 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  333 

FIRST  PROCESS  OF  WILL-CULTURE  —  TBAINING. 

This  branch  of  Will-culture  has  reference  to  the 
power  of  Will  as  now  possessed.  It  is  not  an  abstract 
problem  ;  it  is  concrete. 

Such  problem  involves  two  basic  principles,  Reason 
and  Interest. 

The  first  basic  principal  is  Reason,  or  Judgment. 

The  child's  Will  requires  for  its  perfect  training  an 
atmosphere  of  reason,  so  that  its  own  judgments  may  be 
saturated  with  the  feeling  of  reasonableness  and  may 
impel  corresponding  volitions. 

This  principle  of  reasonableness  attaching  to  Will- 
acts  comes,  on  analysis,  to  be  broken  up  into  certain  ques- 
tions, which  should  be  kept  constantly  before  the  child's 
mind,  but  in  a  way  to  encourage  rather  than  to  harass 
it:  — 

1.  Is  this  act  correct  f     Is  this  the  correct  way  to  do 
the   thing   in   hand  ?     Example  —  handling  a  saw   or  a 
needle. 

2.  Is  this  act  complete  ?     Have  you  left  nothing  un- 
done ?     Example  —  making  a  toy  or  stitching  an  apron. 

3.  Is   this   act  your  best  f     Example  —  your   best 
recitation,  or  your  best  manner. 

4.  Is  this  act  wise  1     Is  it  likely  to  be  followed  by 
satisfactory  consequences  to  yourself  ?     Example  —  the 
desired  picnic,  or  tardiness  at  school. 

5.  Is  this  act  understood?     Example  —  the  lesson, 
or  the  way  of  doing  a  particular  thing. 

It  is  primary  that  arousing  the  child's  understanding 
enlists  its  Will.  The  average  child  is  an  animated  and 
creative  ganglion  of  interrogations.  Here  is  a  huge 
opportunity.  It  may  be  seized  by  means  of  a  few  familiar 
questions—  Why,  How,  Where,  When,  What,  Whosi  — 


334  The  Child s    Will. 

all  sharp  openers  to  the  young  intellect,  because  perfectly 
in  harmony  with  its  own  activities.  * 

Example  :  A  command  has  been  given  ;  the  child's 
mind  proceeds  to  enquire  —  "  Why  must  I  do  this  ?  " 
"  Why  must  I  do  this  in  a  particular  manner  ?  "  "  Why 
must  I  do  this  at  a  prescribed  time  ?"  "  Why  must  I  do 
this  at  some  particular  place  ?  " 

Similarly  in  a  different  series,  as  the  following: 
"ffow  must  I  do  this?"  "  Where  must  I  do  this?" 
"When  must  I  do  this?"  "What  must  I  do?"  "At 
Whose  desire  or  for  whose  interest  must  I  do  this  ?  " 
"  What  will  be  the  consequences  of  this  act  ?  "  "  What 
will  be  the  consequences  of  omitting  this  act  ?  "  "  What 
experience  have  I  had  in  similar  cases  ? " 

This  general  suggestion  may  also  be  employed  by 
the  teacher.  It  will  astonish  you  to  discover  how  the 
child's  intellect  can  be  electrified  by  the  touch  of  the  in- 
terrogative. It  will  unearth  ignorance  thus  seen  to  be 
unnecessary  both  in  the  child  and  in  the  parent  or 
teacher.  Try  the  following  questions  as  to  any  common 
object : 

What  is  this  thing  ? 

How  is  this  thing  ? 

Where  is  this  thing  ? 

When  is  this  thing  ? 

Whose  is  this  thing  ? 

Why  is  this  thing  ? 

The  fact  is,  the  child  is  too  largely  compelled  to  dis- 
cover for  itself  the  necessity  for  such  questions,  is  left  to 
its  own  impulses  for  their  asking  and  their  answers.  This 
is  the  rough-and-tumble  education  of  life. 

The  amount  of  unintelligent  teaching  with  which  the 
child  has  to  contend,  at  home  and  at  school,  is  enormous. 
Adults  do  not  understand  or  think ;  why  should  the  child 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  335 

understand  and  think  ?  The  teacher  does  not  draw  all 
the  water  out  of  the  well ;  why  should  the  child  be  ex- 
pected to  do  so,  or  to  know  what  is  at  the  bottom  ? 

I  asked  a  child  how  she  would  ascertain  the  number 
of  square  feet  in  a  certain  wall.  She  repeated  the  rule. 
Then  I  asked,  "  Why  do  you  multiply  the  number  of  feet 
on  one  side  by  the  number  of  feet  on  the  other  or  longer 
side  ? "  She  did  not  know.  It  had  never  occurred  to 
the  teacher  to  go  beyond  the  rule  with  the  child. 

I  asked  another  child  why  summer  is  warmer  than 
winter,  notwithstanding  the  greater  distance  of  the  sun. 
She  answered,  "  Because  in  summer  the  sun's  rays  are 
direct."  "  But  why  does  that  fact  make  the  weather 
warmer  ?  "  She  did  not  know.  It  had  never  occurred 
to  the  teacher  to  ask  that  question. 

"A  friend  of  mine,"  says  Professor  James,  "  visiting 
a  school,  was  asked  to  examine  a  young  class  in  geog- 
raphy. Glancing  at  the  book,  he  said :  '  Suppose  you 
should  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground,  hundreds  of  feet  deep, 
how  should  you  find  it  at  the  bottom  —  warmer  or  colder 
than  at  the  top  ? '  None  of  the  class  replying,  the  teacher 
said :  *  I  'm  sure  they  know,  but  I  think  you  do  n't  ask 
the  question  quite  rightly.  Let  me  try.  So,  taking  the 
book,  she  asked  :  '  In  what  condition  is  the  inferior  of 
the  globe  ? '  and  received  the  immediate  answer  from  half 
the  class  at  once  :  l  The  condition  of  the  globe  is  in  a 
condition  of  igneous  fusion.' " 

In  this  case  the  prime  fault  lay  with  the  writer  of  the 
geography  —  or  the  school  committee.  But  a  teacher  or 
a  parent  ought  to  break  into  pieces  the  usual  forms  of 
instruction  that  come  the  child's  way.  No  marvel  that 
tasks  set  to  the  child's  Will  train  it  only  imperfectly. 

Make  doubly  sure  that  the  child  understands  the  nature 
of  things  as  taught  and  their  main  purpose.  Understand* 


336  The  Chiles    Will. 

ing  involves  action  of  the  reason,  and  thus,  without  direct 
effort,  trains  the  Will. 

6.  Is  this  act  right  f  Is  it  right  because  I  have 
suggested  it,  or  because  of  a  higher  law  ?  Example  —  the 
use  of  certain  words,  or  of  exaggeration. 

It  is  imperative  that  Will-training  be  conducted  on 
the  lines  of  morality.  The  absence  of  ethical  quality  in 
Will-culture,  on  the  part  of  the  parent  or  teacher,  and  of 
the  child,  destroys  confidence,  undermines  the  foundation 
of  commands,  leaves  the  child  without  a  sense  of  authority 
other  than  that  of  force,  and  confuses  the  whole  question 
of  any  right  use  of  the  Will. 

If,  now,  the  basis  of  Will-training  in  the  child  is  reason 
or  understanding,  certain  attitudes  common  at  home  and  in 
the  school  require  condemnation. 

Never  dominate  the  child  with  that  inexcusable 
tyranny  —  "  Do  as  I  tell  you."  "  Because  I  say  so." 

If  the  command  has  no  better  support,  it  is  a  species 
of  bullying. 

If  you  have  better  reasons,  but  will  not  kindly  declare 
them,  your  command  is  a  sure  bidder  for  future  anarchy. 
The  child's  reason  is  an  acute  questioner  and  judge.  It 
obeys,  but  inwardly  rebels  because  its  master  is  arbitrary, 
and  its  Will  is  thus  demoralized  by  nursed  and  secret 
resistance.  Its  power  has  become  hostile  both  to  yourself 
and  to  the  child's  welfare. 

Never  put  off  an  answer  to  the  child's  questioning  for 
the  reasons  connected  with  a  command.  The  child  ought 
never  to  be  compelled  to  act  or  Will  blindly.  Your  reason- 
ableness will  develop  its  faith,  always  a  prime  factor  of 
the  right  Will. 

Seldom  draw  on  the  child's  Will  in  the  form  of  a 
command.  In  the  long  run,  if  other  things  are  equal, 
expressed  desire  will  be  doubly  efficient.  Even  when  the 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  337 

direct  command  seems  necessary,  the  reasons  which  make 
it  your  desire  can  be  urged  upon  the  child's  attention,  and 
will  ultimately  win  the  thing  you  ought  to  wish  —  a  willed 
obedience. 

Throughout  all  engagements  of  the  child's  reason, 
the  element  of  interest  plays  an  important  part.  In  the 
main  it  is  inevitable,  for  an  awakened  mind  is  an  interested 
mind.  The  child  may,  however,  perceive  the  correctness 
of  an  act,  its  ideal,  its  present  possibility  as  an  ideal,  its 
wisdom  and  its  moral  Tightness,  yet  be  altogether  lacking 
in  the  Will-attitude  which  expends  itself  in  Will-culture. 
Such  Will-attitude  must  either  be  forced,  or  won.  If  it  is 
forced,  nothing  is  directly  gained  for  the  Will.  If  it  is 
won,  it  is  by  so  much  strengthened  and  trained.  To  win 
the  child's  Will,  its  interest  must  be  excited.  This  re- 
quires infinite  trouble  and  patience,  but  the  method  is  sure 
to  justify  in  a  better  power  and  quality  of  Will-action.  A 
Will  trained  through  interest  becomes  finally  a  Will  that 
can  plod  at  the  goading  of  necessity  or  dreary  duty,  and 
hold  to  purpose  after  all  interest  save  that  of  duty  has 
waned. 

The  second  basic  principle,  then,  is  Interest. 

The  child's  interest,  now,  responds  to  certain  appeals  : 

To  the  feeling  of  curiosity. 

To  the  desire  to  imitate. 

To  the  desire  to  emulate. 

To  the  desire  to  know. 

To  the  desire  to  benefit  itself. 

To  the  desire  to  please  others. 

To  the  desire  for  independence. 

These  feelings  and  desires  are  incessantly  active  in 
every  normal  child.  They  may  be  turned  hither  and 
thither,  always  causing  the  child  to  will  with  that  Will  it 
possesses. 


338  The  Child's    Will. 

It  is  curious  —  and  wills  to  discover. 

It  wishes  to  imitate — and  wills  thought,  action, 
speech. 

It  wishes  to  emulate  —  and  wills  to  equal  others. 

It  wishes  to  know,  to  possess  serious  knowledge  — 
and  wills  the  exercise  of  its  faculties. 

It  wishes  to  benefit  itself —  and  wills  the  discovery 
and  use  of  means  appropriate. 

It  wishes  to  please  others  —  and  wills  its  conduct  into 
line. 

It  wishes  to  be  independent  —  and  wills  judgment  and 
freedom. 

The  lessons  for  parent  and  teacher  are  evident : 

1.  Keep  the  child's  curiosity  vigorously  alert. 

2.  Train  the  imitative  desires  wisely,  in  the  matter  of 
selection,  avoidance,  discrimination  and  manner  of  imi- 
tating.    Is  it  merely  aping?     Repress.     Is    it  imitating 
poorly  ?     Improve.     Is  it  imitating  unwisely  ?     Repress. 
Is  it  imitating  in  a  beneficial  manner  ?     Encourage.     See 
that  it  has  the  best  possible  examples,  and  incite  interest 
to  do  its  own  best. 

3.  Imitation  may  lead  to  emulation.     All  the  sugges- 
tions in  regard  to  imitation  apply  here.     But   imitation 
may  be  spontaneous,  and  if  right,  should  be  made  volun- 
tary.    Emulation  always  involves  the  Will.     The  difference 
between  imitation  and  emulation  may  be  illustrated.     John 
repeats  the  language  used  by  his  father,  as  a  parrot  might 
do,  without  any  act  of  the  Will  beyond  that  required  for 
the  proper  control  of  his  vocal  organs.     This  is  imitation. 
But  John  may  be  taught  to  admire  his  father's  ways,  prin- 
ciples, purposes ;  to  think  about  them,  and  to  desire  that 
they  may  appear  in  himself.     His  imitation  has  now  be- 
come emulation. 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  339 

Is  the  child  emulating  a  bad  example?  Turn  the 
capacity  in  another  direction.  Is  it  emulating  a  good 
example  incompletely  ?  Improve.  Is  it  emulating  for 
an  inferior  purpose  ?  Direct  its  attention  to  a  higher. 
Bring  to  its  mind  matters  and  persons  worthy  of  emula- 
tion, and  invest  the  idea  of  emulation  with  every  possible 
interest.  You  are  seeking  to  train  the  child's  Will ;  noble 
emulation  is  one  of  nature's  great  provisions. 

4.  Cultivate  the  desire  to  kncnv.  Ask  a  thousand 
questions  about  the  child's  affairs.  Encourage  it  to  bom- 
bard you  with  questions  of  its  own  inventing.  This  thing 
has  its  limit,  to  be  sure,  but  the  limit  is  large.  Questions 
are  the  crackling  noises  of  an  opening  brain. 

Never  reply  to  questions,  "  Oh,  because  1 "  "  Oh, 
never  mind  1  "  "  Oh,  don't  bother  me  !  " 

If  you  are  too  busy  to  answer  just  now,  make  a 
future  engagement  to  attend  to  the  matters,  and  keep  the 
appointment. 

If  the  child  cannot  now  understand,  promise  to  an- 
swer its  questions  when  it  can,  and  fulfil  that  promise. 

If  you  do  not  know,  honestly  confess.  Then  look  up 
that  matter  as  a  thing  of  first  importance,  and  give  the 
child  the  desired  information. 

Secure  interest  in  all  tasks.  The  uninteresting  is  the 
unwilled.  Example :  Sewing  aprons  merely  to  keep  busy 
will  very  likely  be  poor  work  ;  sewing  on  the  next  party 
dress  is  an  intensely  interesting  thing  securing  good  work, 
and  is  therefore  an  education.  Or,  again  :  The  study  of 
the  geography  of  Spain-ruled  Cuba  a  few  years  ago 
was  a  dull  task  poorly  performed.  "  What 's  the  use  1 " 
Studying  that  Cuba  where  your  brother  had  gone  to  fight 
Spain's  tyranny  and  plant  the  Stars  and  Stripes  was 
"  just  fun."  The  "  fun  of  the  thing  "  awakened  the  Will 
and  illuminated  geography. 


340  The  ChildTs    Will. 

5.  Cultivate  the  child's  desire  to  please  and  benefit 
itself.  This  desire  is  one  of  nature's  strongest  motors  in 
man,  and  should  be  intelligently  developed  and  regulated. 
It  works  injury  only  when  misunderstood  or  wrongly 
applied.  Analyzed,  it  divides  into  two  impulses,  that  of 
self-interest  and  that  of  selfishness.  A  few  characteristics 
will  reveal  the  difference  between  these  forms  of  personal 
motive. 

Self-interest  seeks  the  best  interest  of  self;  Selfish- 
ness seeks  a  false  benefit  which  ultimately  injures  self. 

Self-interest  is  ascertained  by  a  study  of  law ;  self- 
ishness is  conceived  in  indifference  to  law.  The  one  is 
represented  by  liberty ;  the  other  by  license. 

Self-interest  respects  the  consensus  of  opinion  ;  self- 
ishness ignores  the  general  opinion. 

Self-interest  is  always  concerned  with  the  highest 
welfare  of  others ;  for  man's  life  is  a  community-organ- 
ism, and  his  highest  interest  is  realized  through  law- 
abiding  independence  subordinated  to  service  ;  selfishness 
isolates  itself  from  the  demands  of  relations  to  others,  and 
realizes  in  law-defying  independence  requiring  service  for 
self  regardless  of  others. 

Self-interest  is  an  eternal  reality ;  selfishness  is  eter- 
nally a  denial  of  that  reality. 

Self-interest  forever  fulfils  itself  and  creates  larger 
capacities  and  huger  worlds  of  opportunity ;  selfishness 
forever  defeats  itself,  destroys  capacity  for  welfare,  and 
ultimates  in  the  world  of  the  infinitely  little. 

Hence,  to  cultivate  the  child's  desire  for  its  own 
benefit  and  pleasure  is  to  cultivate  true  ideals  of  happi- 
ness and  welfare.  This  means  a  reasonable  and  kind 
process  of  education  resulting  in  the  elimination  of 
selfishness  from  life  and  the  substitution  therefor  of  a 
true  self-interest. 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  341 

How,  then,  shall  the  child  s  desire  to  please  and  benefit 
itself  be  trained  ? 

By  appeal  to  experience.  The  child  has  sought  to 
please  itself  selfishly ;  see  to  it  that  disagreeable  conse- 
quences are  emphasized  in  its  thought  and  memory.  If 
none  are  likely  to  be  apparent,  bring  them  about,  not 
necessarily  as  punishments,  but  as  natural  consequences 
and  wholesome  lessons. 

If  the  child  has  subordinated  itself,  bring  out  clearly 
the  beneficial  results.  If  none  are  apparent,  manage  the 
matter  in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  them,  even  if  artifically. 

Always  must  the  child's  Will  be  kept  in  mind.  The 
will  to  do  for  a  real  pleasure  or  benefit  will  certainly  be 
stronger  after  proper  experience  duly  emphasized  than  the 
will  to  do  for  fancied  happiness  or  welfare  shown  in  ex- 
perience to  lead  to  unhappiness. 

By  appeal  to  the  love  of  reward.  Reward  is  a  fruit  of 
the  nature  of  things.  It  should  have  a  large  but  regulated 
place  in  the  child's  life.  Here  is  perfect  stimulation  to 
right  exercise  of  Will.  Hence, — Do  not  reduce  the  child's 
life  to  the  plane  of  mere  duty. 

Do  not  compel  it  to  perform  an  act  simply  because 
you  order  it.  Suggest  rewards  of  some  sort  —  gifts,  or 
pleasure  promised,  or  benefits  upheld  as  certain  to  come 
about  naturally. 

Do  not  seek  to  dominate  the  child's  conduct  by  re- 
mote or  abstract  ideas.  Teach  the  remote  through  the 
present,  the  abstract  through  the  concrete. 

By  appeal  to  theory.  Theory  builds  on  the  practical 
for  the  practical.  It  must  be  made  to  appear  to  the  child 
in  a  concrete  form  as  a  concrete  value.  If  the  child  does 
not  perceive  such  value,  its  interest  ceases  and  the  Will 
flags.  If  it  suspects  that  theories  are  mere  visions  and 
personal  notions,  it  loses  respect  for  your  teaching.  It 


342  The  Child's    Will. 

must  in  some  way  be  made  to  get  hold  of  principles  and 
their  reality,  so  that  it  may  intuitively  apply  them  to  vari- 
ous practical  cases.  The  circles  called  home,  street, 
school  or  playground,  neighborhood,  village  or  city,  are 
all  ramified  by  certain  general  principles  which  guarantee 
welfare.  We  may  suggest  them  in  the  word  "  respect." 

Respect  for  the  feelings  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  rights  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  opinions  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  customs  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  beliefs  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  opportunities  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  liberty  of  others. 

Respect  for  the  destiny  of  others. 

Such  principles  may  be  thrown  into  ideals  or  maxims 
and  made  incessantly  prominent  in  all  the  child's  relations 
to  the  various  circles  of  life. 

6.  Cultivate  the  child's  desire  for  the  happiness  and 
welfare  of  others.     The  preceding  suggestions  inevitably 
make  for  these  ends.     But  life  ought  at  times  to  forget 
even  self-interest.     Encourage,  therefore,  action  for  others 
which  does  not  think  of  self.     A  thousand  opportunities 
are  afforded  for  this  effort.     Certain  simple  rules  may  be 
indicated : 

Request  the  child  ;  do  not  order  it. 
On  compliance,  express  your  thankfulness. 
For  unusual  obedience,  manifest  appreciation. 
For  voluntary  service,  exhibit  a  lively  gratification. 
Occasionally  provide  some  unexpected  pleasure. 
For  exceptional  thoughtfulness,  indicate  correspond- 
ing approbation. 

7.  Cultivate  the  child 's  desire  for  independence.     With 
all  safeguards  thrown  around  it,  the  child  must,  in  count- 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  343 

less  ways,  think,  determine,  act  for  itseK.  The  more 
frequently  and  fully  it  does  so,  under  wise  supervision,  the 
more  surely  will  its  Will-power  be  trained,  and  its  future 
be  mortgaged  for  the  largest  success.  A  right  spirit  of 
independence  may  be  cultivated, — 

By  appeal  to  the  love  of  ownership.  The  child  ought 
to  own  many  things  in  "  fee  simple,"  as  it  were.  Its 
ownership  should  be  thoroughly  respected,  and  seldom 
overshadowed  by  any  superior  claim.  In  addition  to  pos- 
session in  the  ordinary  run  of  life,  it  should  also  be  made 
owner  of  special  things  with  responsibilities  or  unusual 
opportunities  connected  therewith,  as  a  piece  of  land,  an 
animal,  a  boat,  a  set  of  tools,  some  kind  of  mechanism  for 
making  various  articles,  materials  to  be  worked  over,  etc. 

By  the  appeal  of  the  practical  in  society.  Under 
proper  restrictions,  stores,  shops,  factories,  farms,  public 
buildings,  and  the  like,  afford  fine  opportunities  to  acquire 
familiarity  with  common  objects  and  common  ways  of 
doing  things  which  inevitably  minister  to  the  child's  sense 
and  power  of  independence  in  times  of  special  need. 

By  throwing  the  child  upon  its  own  resources  and 
judgment,  as  far  as  may,  in  any  given  case,  be  wise.  This 
requires  that  it  be  given  as  large  a  measure  of  liberty  as 
is  compatible  with  a  long-headed  view  of  its  best  welfare. 
Sooner  or  later  it  must  depend  upon  itself.  The  present 
question  is,  shall  its  future  freedom  be  that  of  liberty  or 
that  of  license  ?  The  man's  liberty  must  grow  out  of  the 
child's  law-governed  independence. 

Do  not  smother  independence,  therefore,  but  regu- 
late it. 

Do  not  tie  the  child  to  your  tether  of  personal  notion. 
Cut  the  apron-string,  or  get  a  long  rope.  This  increases 
your  care,  but  it  builds  the  child's  Will. 

If  the  child  gets  hurt  in  its  freedom  —  experience  is 


344  The  Chiltfs   Will. 

a  good  teacher.  If  it  falls  into  error  —  there  is  your  op- 
portunity to  preach  an  illustrated  sermon  like  a  story- 
teller, with  all  points  suggested  above  for  divisions,  and 
self-regulated  independence  as  the  main  lesson. 

Never  say  "  No  "  to  a  child  merely  to  relieve  yourself 
of  trouble. 

Never  say  "  No  "  to  a  child  without  stopping  to  think. 

Do  your  first  thinking  silently.  If  favorable,  repeat 
the  process  to  the  child.  If  unfavorable,  and  you  wish  to 
give  the  child  a  lesson  in  experience,  repeat  the  process 
aloud  and  say,  "  Yes."  If  you  are  found  to  have  been 
mistaken,  reason  the  matter  out  to  the  preservation  of  the 
child's  respect  for  you,  notwithstanding.  If  you  were 
right,  abstain  from  gloating,  but  impress  the  lesson  hand- 
somely. If  your  judgment  is  unfavorable  to  the  child's 
desires,  and  you  do  not  wish  to  chance  the  lesson  of  ex- 
perience, repeat  the  process  of  thought  and  say  "  No." 

Always  make  the  "  No  "  as  easy  as  possible. 

Never  say  a  reasonable  "  No "  and  change  to  a 
thoughtless  "  Yes." 

Never  say  "  No  "  when  "  Yes  "  would  be  exactly  as 
•wise.  Avoid  the  habit  of  senseless  objection. 

Never  say  "  Yes  "  and  change  to  a  thoughtless  "  No." 

Never  say,  "  Oh,  I  do  n't  care  1 "  This  shows  that 
you  rule  or  permit  without  thought. 

If  the  problem  will  not  resolve  itself  to  your  thought, 
state  the  case  fairly,  and  win  the  child's  assent  to  your 
doubt.  Cultivate  independence,  again, — 

By  inducing  the  child  to  launch  0uf,  now  and  then,  in 
some  heroic  venture,  always  forefended  and  watched  over. 

By  encouraging  heroic  endurance  of  consequences. 

By  encouraging  frank  and  heroic  assumption  of  blame 
for  mistakes  of  its  own. 

By   encouraging   modest  appropriation   of   legitimate 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  345 

praise  and  satisfaction  for  favorable  outcomes  of  inde- 
pendent decisions,  conduct  and  ventures. 

These  suggestions  will  readily  recall  to  mind  various 
illustrations  as  to  means  and  methods,  and  need  not  be 
further  elaborated. 

Now,  the  child's  interest  is  usually  spontaneous  and 
natural.  But  nature  constantly  indicates  that  spontaneous 
interest  maybe  invented.  It  is  the  possibility  of  invented 
interest  that  enables  Professor  James  to  state  the  following 

LAWS  OF  INTEREST  :  — 

First  law  of  interest :  "Any  object  not  interesting  in 
itself  may  become  interesting  through  becoming  •  associated 
with  an  object  in  which  an  interest  already  exists.  The  two 
associated  ideas  grow,  as  it  were ;  the  interesting  portion 
sheds  its  quality  over  the  whole  ;  and  thus  things  not  inter- 
esting in  their  own  right  borrow  an  interest  which  becomes 
as  real  and  as  strong  as  that  of  any  natively  interesting 
thing." 

This  law  suggests  three  practical  rules : 

1.  Associate   in    the   child's   life  interesting  things 
with   uninteresting   things ;    or,   cause   the   uninteresting 
things  to  borrow  interest  from  things  that  are  in  any  way 
possessed  of  interest  to  the  child.     As  this  rule  may  be 
divided, — 

2.  "  Begin  with  the  line  of  his  native  interests,  and 
offer  him  objects  that  have  some  immediate  connection 
with  these. 

3.  "  Step   by  step  connect  with  these  first  objects 
and   experiences   the  later  objects  and  ideas  which  you 
wish  to  instil.     Associate  the  new  with  the  old  in  some 
natural  and  telling  way,  so  that  the  interest,  being  shed 
along  from  point  to  point,  finally  suffuses  the  entire  system 
of  objects  of  thought." 


346  The  Child's    Will. 

In  a  few  words,  get  hold  of  the  child's  interest  in 
some  way,  immediate  or  remote,  in  the  subject  or  task  in 
hand  ;  then  connect  its  interest,  as  it  exists,  by  any  round- 
about way,  with  the  thing  or  act  desired. 

Second  law  of  interest :  "  Voluntary  attention  cannot 
be  continuously  sustained;  it  comes  in  beats.1' 

This  is  true  in  the  adult  mind.  Voluntary  attention 
in  the  child's  mind  is  much  more  fickle ;  hence  the  value 
of  the  prescription  : 

"  The  subject  must  be  made  to  show  new  aspects  of 
itself  ;  to  prompt  new  questions  ;  in  a  word,  to  change. 

"  From  an  unchanging  subject  the  attention  inevi- 
tably wanders  away.  You  can  test  this  by  the  simplest 
possible  case  of  sen  serial  attention.  Try  to  attend  stead- 
fastly to  a  dot  on  the  paper  or  on  the  wall.  You  presently 
find  that  one  or  the  other  of  two  things  has  happened  : 
either  your  field  of  vision  has  become  blurred,  so  that  you 
now  see  nothing  distinct  at  all,  or  else  you  have  involun- 
tarily ceased  to  look  at  the  dot  in  question  and  are  look- 
ing at  something  else.  But,  if  you  ask  yourself  successive 
questions  about  the  dot  —  how  big  it  is,  how  far,  of  what 
shape,  what  shade  of  color,  etc. ;  in  other  words,  if  you 
turn  it  over,  if  you  think  of  it  in  various  ways,  and  along 
with  various  kinds  of  associations  —  you  can  keep  your 
mind  upon  it  for  a  comparatively  long  time." 

Third  law  of  interest .  In  the  child's  life  the  concrete 
is  always  the  realest  and  the  most  interesting. 

All  is  things.  The  mind  constantly  concretes  the 
abstract.  It  is  this  fact  that  gives  life  an  enormous 
fictitious  interest ;  examples  :  units  =  apples,  dolls,  etc. ; 
freedom  =  eating  all  the  jam  you  want ;  God  =  a  huge 
man  who  is  invisible,  but,  because  He  is  omnipresent,  can 


L.et  the   Child  Prophesy  fair.  347 

be  caught  in  an  old  shoe  and  tied  up  —  a  real  case  in  the 
family  of  a  religious  professor  of  physics. 

Make  the  child's  Will,  therefore,  a  mover  of  concrete 
realities. 

Always  is  it  to  be  remembered  that  the  child  is  pre- 
eminently a  subject  of  education.  And  what  education  is, 
let  Professor  James  tell  us  : 

"  It  cannot  be  better  described  than  by  calling  it  the 
organization  of  acquired  habits  of  conduct  and  tendencies  to 
behavior" 

At  home  or  school,  this  process  of  "  organizing  ac- 
quired habits  "  involves  a  great  aphorism  : 

"JV0  reception  without  reaction,  no  impression  without 
correlative  expression" 

The  preceding  basic  principles  of  reason  and  of  in- 
terest, with  the  suggestions  noted,  simply  mean  that  what- 
ever properly  goes  into  the  child's  mind  should  be  worked 
over,  by  itself,  in  its  concrete  life.  All  such  reactions 
tend  to  train  the  Will.  Right  reaction  equals  right  Will- 
exercise.  Similarly,  all  right  impressions  upon  the  child's 
mind  are  to  be  returned  in  some  kind  of  expression  in 
action.  If  you  arouse  judgment  or  reason  and  interest, 
you  inevitably  secure  reaction  and  expression  in  life.  The 
rule  is  infallible. 

SECOND   PROCESS   OF  WILL-CULTURE  —  DEVELOPMENT. 

Right  training  of  the  child's  Will  must,  in  the  nature 
of  the  case,  result  in  more  or  less  increase  of  its  power. 
But  the  specific  end,  a  stronger  Will  in  the  child,  becomes 
now  the  larger  goal. 

The  Will  is  merely  the  mind's  ability  to  put  forth 
volitions. 

The  mind,  willing  repeatedly  in  any  given  direction, 
acquires  greater  ability  to  will  in  some  directions. 


348  The  Child's 

The  mind,  willing  readily  and  strongly  in  one  direc- 
tion, may  be  so  trained  in  that  direction  as  to  will  readily 
and  strongly  in  other  directions.  This  has  been  disputed, 
but  it  seems  obvious.  He  who  acquires  facility  in  per- 
forming a  certain  kind  of  mental  task  may  thereby  acquire 
power  for  other  tasks.  He  who  successfully  resists  one 
temptation  prepares  himself  for  successful  resistance  of 
another  temptation.  A  will  trained  in  the  use  of  reason 
and  by  appeals  to  a  true  interest,  becomes  a  better  and 
stronger  Will  for  response  to  the  naked  call  of  duty.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  acquire  power  for  all  different  kinds  of 
acts ;  the  soul  stores  power  adequate  to  untried  cases. 
Any  general  faculty  of  the  mind  may  be  developed  as  a 
general  faculty. 

Development  of  Will  regards,  indirectly  its  present 
state,  but  primarily  the  increase  of  power  wherein  the 
mind  lacks.  The  mind  possesses  a  certain  ability  to  will 
at  present ;  it  may  be  educated,  unfolded,  so  as  to  acquire 
power  to  put  forth  volitions  more  strongly  for  any  purpose. 

For  such  development  of  Will-power  the  basic  prin- 
ciple is  now  practice.  This  brings  us  to  the 

EXERCISES  OF  THE  PRESENT  WORK. 

In  following  these  exercises,  reason  and  interest 
must  be  kept  constantly  at  the  fore. 

I.  PHYSICAL  REGIME.  The  exercises  for  physical 
regime  should  be  practised  by  the  parent  or  teacher  with 
the  child.  A  small  group  of  children  would  be  preferable. 
This  will  bring  out  all  possible  forms  of  reasoning  and  in- 
terest. It  will  stimulate  curiosity,  the  desire  to  imitate,  to 
emulate,  to  know,  to  please  self,  to  please  others.  The 
exercises  can  be  made  to  appeal  to  the  child's  prime  in- 
terest in  the  concrete.  They  may  also  be  made  to  stimu- 
late its  love  of  mastery  and  its  native  power  of  invention 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  349 

in  the  way  of  adding  other  exercises  not  specified.  Here 
is  an  opportunity  to  develop  the  child's  Will  with  no  fear 
of  dullness  or  weariness.  If  properly  conducted,  Physical 
Regime  will  become  a  kind  of  play.  In  order  to  success, 
observe  the  following  suggestions : 

Manifest  yourself  a  lively  interest  in  the  exercises. 

Follow  the  directions  carefully,  but  strive  always  to 
invent  new  exercises  for  each  thing  in  hand. 

Practise  the  exercises  in  the  order  given. 

Set  apart  a  certain  time  each  morning  for  this  prac- 
tice. The  child's  mind  should  be  fresh ;  the  exercises 
will  prepare  it  for  other  tasks.  Do  not  vary  the  time 
fixed. 

Do  not  pass  from  one  set  of  exercises  to  another  in  a 
haphazard  way.  Finish  each  set  before  the  next  is  taken 
up.  Do  not  extend  the  time  suggested  for  each  set  in  the 
book. 

Do  not  undertake  more  than  one  set  of  exercises  at 
a  time. 

Do  not  combine  practice  of  Physical  Regime  with 
practice  of  Mental  Regime.  Let  the  rule  be :  one  thing 
at  a  time ;  progress  step  by  step. 

Begin  the  work  with  a  little  talk  on  the  Will.  Give 
the  class  simple  outlines,  with  picturesque  illustrations. 
From  time  to  time  during  the  progress  of  the  exercises 
review  this  talk. 

Occasionally  select  a  rule  or  two  from  those  given  at 
the  close  of  Part  I,  and  instil  the  same  into  the  minds  of 
the  class.  Illustrate  their  use  and  value. 

Now  take  up  the  exercises,  in  the  order  given. 

Exercises  for  the  Eye.  Explain  the  eye.  Explain 
vision  and  its  media.  Explain  attention,  and  show  its 
necessity  in  all  the  exercises.  Ask  the  questions  :  "  How 


350  The  Child's    Will. 

do  you  attend  with  the  eye  ?  "  "  What  is  the  value  of  the 
eyes  ? "  "  What  is  the  relation  of  Will  to  the  right  use  of 
the  eyes  ? "  "  What  is  its  place  among  the  organs  of 
sense  ?  "  "  Is  it  of  the  most  interest  to  you  ?  "  "  Of  the 
most  value' to  you  ?  "  Always  keep  the  child's  Will  at  the 
fore.  Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  IX. 

Exercises  for  the  Ear.  Repeat,  as  far  as  appropriate, 
the  foregoing  explanations  and  questions.  Remember 
the  Will.  Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  X. 

Exercises  in  Smell.  Repeat,  as  before.  Practise  the 
exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  XII. 

Exercises  in  Taste.  Repeat,  as  before.  Practise  the 
exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  XI. 

Exercises  in  Touch.  Repeat,  as  before.  Keep  the 
Will  foremost  Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in 
Chapter  XIII. 

Exercises  for  the  2^en-es.  Repeat,  as  with  the  eyes. 
Suggest  the  importance  of  preserving  the  nerves  in  a  good 
condition  and  of  controlling  them.  Practise  the  exercises 
as  directed  in  Chapter  XIV. 

Exercises  for  the  Hands.  Describe  the  hands.  Show 
how  the  hand  is  one  of  the  mind's  executive  organs. 
Show  its  relation  to  man's  progress.  To  the  child's  life. 
Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  XV. 

Exercises  in  Steadiness.  Repeat,  as  with  the  eyes. 
Appeal  always  to  Will.  Practise  the  exercises  as  directed 
in  Chapter  XVI. 

During  all  these  exercises,  compare  the  interest  and 
value  of  the  various  organs.  Induce  the  child  to  put  its 
mind  into  the  use  of  the  senses. 

In  the  meantime,  secure  the  best  possible  practice  of 
all  the  exercises  by  inquiring : 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  351 

Have  you  performed  this  act  correctly  ?  All  of  it  ? 
In  your  best  way  ?  Is  it  a  good  or  useful  or  wise  exercise  ? 
Is  it  a  right  exercise  ?  Is  your  mind  wholly  in  this  exer- 
cise ?  Do  you  perform  it  because  I  require  it,  or  for  its 
benefit,  or  because  you  are  interested  in  it  ? 

Seek  to  bring  into  play  the  child's  curiosity,  its  desire 
to  imitate,  to  emulate,  to  know,  for  present  pleasure,  the 
pleasure  of  parent  or  teacher,  for  mastery,  and  for  inde- 
pendence in  the  invention  of  other  similar  exercises. 

Above  all,  try  to  induce  the  child  to  think  of  and 
strive  for  a  better  and  stronger  Will.  This  idea,  brought 
into  the  foreground  of  its  consciousness,  will  suggest  itself 
when  demands  for  Will  appear  on  other  occasions. 

MENTAL  REGIME.  The  suggestions  given  on  page 
348  for  Physical  Regime  should  be  observed  here.  In 
addition,  note  the  following: 

This  field  is  more  or  less  abstract,  but  the  exercises 
must  be  kept  as  far  as  possible  in  the  concrete. 

The  child's  reason  and  interest  must  be  appealed  to 
incessantly. 

Begin  the  work  of  Mental  Regime  with  a  simple  talk 
on  the  brain  and  the  mind.  Describe  the  mind's  usual 
divisions.  Show  that  the  Will  is  not  a  separate  faculty, 
any  more  than  is  any  other  mental  faculty,  but  the  mind's 
ability  to  originate,  or  determine  upon,  some  kind  of  ac- 
tion. Indicate  the  Will's  relation  to  mental  powers,  and 
the  importance  of  its  conscious  and  intelligent  use  in  all 
the  exercises  to  be  taken  up. 

Show  how  that,  //  we  constantly  think  of  our  Wills, 
and  seek  the  strongest  and  best  Wills,  we  shall  gradually 
come  to  use  our  present  power  of  Will  at  its  best,  and  to 
strive  for  its  greatest  development. 

Repeat  these  and  similar  talks  from  time  to  time, 


352  The  Child 's   Will. 

and,  by  reiteration  and  reviews,  fix  them  in  the  minds  of 
the  class. 

Now  take  up  the  mental  exercises. 

Exercises  in  Attention.  Explain  the  nature  of  atten- 
tion by  the  mind.  Give  a  little  talk  on  mind-wandering, 
and  show  how  the  Will  may  cure  that  habit.  Indicate 
the  importance  of  real  attention  under  all  circumstances. 
During  the  exercises,  secure  constantly  the  Will-mood  in 
the  child,  urging  it  by  such  exclamations  as,  "Attention  1 " 
"  I  resolve  to  will  1  "  and  in  any  other  way  suggested  to 
your  mind.  Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter 
XVIII. 

Exercises  in  Reading.  Describe  true  and  false  read- 
ing. Show  the  necessity  of  attention  in  reading.  Let  a 
child  read  a  passage  from  some  standard  author ;  then 
ask  him  to  state  in  his  own  words  what  the  author  has 
said.  Arouse  emulation  in  the  class.  Practise  the  exer- 
cises as  directed  in  Chapter  XIX. 

Exercises  in  Thinking.  Describe  the  common  notion 
as  to  thinking,  and  contrast  it  with  true  thinking.  Show 
the  necessary  work  of  attention  in  thinking.  Cause  the 
child  to  understand  that  it  is  to  will  to  think,  and  to  will 
to  acquire  the  habit  of  willed,  that  is,  true  thinking.  Seek 
to  induce  the  child  always  to  look  for  reasons,  and  prin- 
ciples, and  to  know  all  about  the  thing  in  hand.  Practise 
the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  XX. 

Exercises  in  Memory.  Give  a  little  talk  on  the  mem- 
ory. Show  the  imperative  necessity  of  attention  for  a 
good  memory.  Indicate  the  value  of  willed  attention  in 
memorizing.  Instil  into  the  child's  mind  the  importance 
of  frequent  reviews,  and  make  such  reviews  interesting. 
Explain  the  cause  of  forgetting.  Induce  the  child  now 
and  then  to  commit  selections  from  the  best  authors. 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  353 

Let  the  class  commit  useful  lists  of  things,  as  of  dates, 
states,  battles,  public  buildings,  great  men,  etc.  But  you 
will  need  to  employ  the  law  of  interesting  associations. 
Cultivate  the  memory  for  other  concrete  facts.  Do  not 
forget  memory  for  principles.  Call  for  frequent  reviews. 
Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  XXI. 

Exercises  in  Imagination.  Give  a  simple  talk  on  the 
imagination.  Show  the  need  of  close  and  careful  atten- 
tion here.  Introduce  lessons  in  observation,  at  home,  in 
the  school-room,  on  the  street,  in  the  fields,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  gathering  materials  for  the  imagination.  Havt 
the  class  describe  imaginary  objects,  persons,  scenes, 
plots,  journeys,  etc.  Present  imaginary  conduct,  and  ask : 
"  What  would  you  do  in  such  a  case  ?  "  "  What  would 
be  the  probable  consequences  of  your  decision  ? "  And 
so  on. 

Let  a  child  read  a  passage  in  literature  involving 
imagination ;  then  bring  out  what  the  class  feels,  sees, 
understands,  about  it.  Always  maintain  the  Will-mood 
during  these  exercises.  The  class  are  to  will  to  bring  the 
imagination  into  action,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  Will. 
Practise  the  exercises  as  directed  in  Chapter  XXII. 

Above  all,  the  child  should  be  taught  to  cultivate  the 
determination  always  to  will  the  right  and  reasonable  in 
its  thought  and  action. 

THIRD   PROCESS  OF  WILL-CULTURE  —  DESTRUCTION 

or   HABIT. 

Destruction  of  undesirable  habits  in  the  child  i* 
volves  definite  appeals  to  self-interest,  to  public  opinion, 
to  the  desire  for  happiness  in  others,  to  moral  ideas. 

The  aim  is  now,  by  incessant  appeals  as  above,  to 
induce  the  child  to  set  its  Will  resolutely  against  such 
habits.  This  means  a  genuine  desire  awakened  to  replace 


354  The   Child's    Will. 

them  by  good  habits.  In  seeking  to  arouse  the  latter 
desire,  the  reason  or  judgment  and  the  interest  must  be 
brought  into  the  liveliest  action.  The  particular  objection- 
able habit  must  be  held  up  so  that  the  child  can  see  it  as 
a  mere  habit  apart  from  itself,  and  thus  appreciate  its 
objectionableness  and  its  injurious  tendencies.  Show 
that  it  is  opposed  to  the  child's  own  interest.  Emphasize 
the  best  public  opinion,  or  the  opinion  of  some  admired 
friend  who  would  condemn  the  habit.  Many  undesirable 
habits  possess  some  near  or  remote  moral  quality.  Make 
this  appear  in  the  case  in  hand.  If  the  child  doesn't 
care,  persist  until  it  does.  Set  the  best  of  examples  in 
regard  to  your  own  habits.  The  child  will  probably  seek 
to  imitate  or  emulate  you,  and,  doing  so,  will  have  regard 
for  your  pleasure.  Appeal  to  its  natural  desire  to  give 
happiness  to  others.  Do  not  be  economical  with  rewards. 
Encourage  it  to  believe  that  it  can  overcome.  Inspire  in 
every  way  its  Will  to  decide  against  wrong  habits,  and  to 
persist  in  their  extermination.  At  every  victory,  manifest 
the  greatest  pleasure.  Reward  it  handsomely  when  the 
thing  is  accomplished. 

Take  up  the  various  habits  discussed  in  Part  IV. 
Give  simple  talks,  from  time  to  time,  to  the  class  or  the 
child,  on  each  of  the  habits  mentioned.  Apply,  little  by 
little,  the  suggestions  of  this  book,  so  far  as  may  be  practi- 
cable, but  without  ostentation  —  tactfully,  patiently  and 
with  confidence.  Seek  to  know  the  habits  of  the  children 
under  your  care,  and  set  about  the  effort  to  weed  them 
out.  Carefully  guard  against  the  detective  spirit,  the  out- 
cropping of  superior  goodness,  and  any  feeling  of  dis- 
couragement. Study  temperament ;  handle  different  cases 
according  to  their  natures  and  flexibility.  Remember,  you 
are  seeking  the  development  of  the  child's  Will,  not  the 
realization  of  your  own  Will-standard. 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  355 

Second  to  the  need  of  desire  in  the  cure  of  habits  is 
memory  of  the  thing  to  be  done.  This  may  be  secured  in 
many  ways,  but  the  following  method  is  suggested : 

Select  some  brief  sentence  expressing  the  character 
of  a  habit,  and  keep  it  before  the  child  in  a  striking  but 
not  tiresome  manner,  as  by  writing  it  on  a  black-board  or 
in  writing-copy,  etc.,  or  by  having  it  recited  in  concert 
from  time  to  time.  Occasionally  substitute  a  new  sen- 
tence. Examples  : 

Profanity. — Profanity  spoils  language  and  degrades 
holy  name 

Exaggeration. — Exaggeration  is  a  kind  of  lying. 

Irritability  and  Anger. — Irritability  and  anger  poison 
blood  and  mind. 

The  Tobacco  Habit. — Tobacco  forgets  with  its  mem- 
ory. Shun  first  indulgence  ;  thus  you  win  ! 

The  Drink  Habit. — Alcohol  makes  the  Will  crazy. 

Slang. — Slang  is  the  language  of  thieves. 

Hesitation  in  Speech. — Think  first ;  then  speak  with 
your  Will. 

Mind-wandering. — Mind-  Wandering  is  the  crazy-quilt 
of  mind. 

Garrulousness. — Too  much  talking  betrays  secrets. 

Thoughtlessness. — 

"/  didn't  think'11  is  just  a  Poor  excuse 
For  just  forgetting.    Brains  were  made  for  use. 

Indecision. — 

The  boy  or  girl  who  can't  decide 
No  horse  will  own,  no  carriage  ride. 

Want  of  Opinion. — 

The  mind  that  fears  its  thoughts  to  prise 
Must  others  serve.    It  ne'er  will  rise. 


356  The  Chilfs   Will. 

Opinionativeness. — 

Insist  that  white  is  -white,  and  pink  is  fink. 
But  then  —  admit  that  others  also  think  / 

FOURTH  PROCESS  OF  WILL-CULTURE  —  RESOLUTION  FOR 
RIGHT  CONTACT  WITH  OTHERS. 

The  rules  given  at  the  close  of  Chapter  XXVII  may 
be  suggested  to  the  child  from  time  to  time,  by  the  voice, 
by  recitation  in  concert,  by  writing  on  a  black-board  or  on 
copy-paper,  but  above  all,  by  examples  observed  to  which 
attention  may  be  called  in  an  interesting  way.  These 
rules  should  be  suggested  with  discrimination,  and  in 
small  doses.  The  aim  should  be  to  inspire  rather  than 
to  enforce  observance  of  them.  The  child's  Will  must  be 
enlisted  if  such  precepts  are  to  prove  of  value. 

Parent  and  teacher  should  illustrate  principles  of 
right  contact  with  others  in  their  own  conduct.  The 
Golden  Rule  has  always  a  fair  opportunity  in  child-life,  if 
judiciously  inculcated  and  actually  exemplified  by  adults. 

In  a  kindergarten  way,  the  general  thoughts  of  the 
chapter  on  the  Personal  Atmosphere  may  from  time  to 
time  be  given  to  the  child,  Keep  the  subject  clear  of 
mere  mystery.  Suggest  only  the  outlines  of  the  fact  that 
each  person  carries  with  him  an  "  atmosphere,"  a  kind  of 
influence  originating,  not  in  what  he  says  or  does,  but  in 
his  hidden  self,  which  strikes  other  people  in  an  agreeable 
or  a  disagreeable  way,  for  their  good  or  their  injury,  and 
that  the  best  way  of  getting  on  nicely  with  others  is  to 
make  sure  that  the  inner  self  is  right  and  honest  and 
kindly  and  helpful.  The  child  will  recognize  this  fact  as 
a  matter  of  his,  own  personal  experience.  He  will  tell 
you  that  he  has  felt  the  "influence."  He  will  remember, 
when  you  talk  about  it,  that  some  things  and  some  places 
strike  him  in  a  similar  way.  He  will  think  about  the 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  357 

matter  in  a  matter-of-fact  manner  because  it  has  been  a 
part  of  his  experience.  And,  now  that  it  is  thrown  upon 
his  attention  as  a  common  fact,  he  will  remember  its  utility, 
and  profit  by  its  suggestions  for  his  own  conduct.  The 
writer  of  these  pages  believes  that  the  most  reasonable 
being  in  this  world  is  the  little  child.  Of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  reason  and  therefore  of  Heaven. 

Above  all,  teach  the  child  that  its  relations  with  other 
people  must  depend  almost  wholly  upon  its  own  Will. 

For  the  art  of  expression  in  conversation  and  public 
speaking,  the  most  of  the  suggestions  in  Chapter  XXVI 
may  be  profitably  followed  with  the  child.  Here  are  op- 
portunities for  brief  and  simple  talks  on  the  thoughts 
brought  out  and  for  many  interesting  class-exercises 
adapted  from  the  directions  given.  The  child  will  need 
some  ability  in  this  direction  in  its  future  career.  It 
should  be  trained  to  will  writing  and  speaking  during 
its  school  life.  The  following  would  seem  generally  to 
cover  the  entire  subject,  so  far  as  the  child's  education  is 
concerned : 

Teach  it  to  read  for  the  sake  of  information  gained. 

Encourage  it  to  talk  about  what  it  has  learned. 

Lead  it  through  analyses  of  various  passages  in  the 
best  literature. 

Induce  it  to  speak  the  thoughts  set  forth  in  its  own 
language. 

Teach  it  to  reason,  connectedly,  to  a  point,  for  a  pur- 
pose. 

Teach  it  to  do  this  on  its  feet  and  in  the  presence  of 
others,  orally. 

Encourage  it  in  practice,  until  it  acquires  self-posses- 
sion. 

Moderate  precocity  and  vanity. 


358  The  Chiltfs    Witt. 

Teach  it  to  control  the  body  when  engaged  in  speak- 
ing anywhere. 

Teach  it  to  overcome  fear  of  others  as  an  audience. 

Inspire  in  its  mind  a  desire  and  determination  for 
excellence. 

In  every  lesson  appeal  to  its  sense  of  Will-power 

FIFTH  PROCESS  IN  WILL-CULTURE  —  DEVELOPMENT  OF 
SYMMETRY. 

The  idea  of  human  symmetry  in  character  and  devel- 
opment is  always  relative.  Education  in  symmetry,  there- 
fore, must  have  the  child's  nature,  endowments,  weaknesses 
and  surroundings  always  in  mind.  The  fundamental  idea 
in  any  existence  determines  symmetry  and  makes  it  pos- 
sible. A  wild  forest  may  be  symmetrical,  but  not  in  the 
manner  of  an  artistically  laid-out  garden  landscape.  No 
man  has  the  symmetry  of  an  angel.  No  child  can  be  sym- 
metrical in  the  sense  that  an  adult  may  be  symmetrical. 
Tommy  the  son  of  Tim  may  develop  into  a  very  symmetri- 
cal citizen,  but  he  will  still  exhibit  dents  where  the  son  of 
New  England's  best  blood  —  or,  for  that  matter,  of  Ire- 
land's noblest  —  shows  superior  growth  and  finish.  The 
child's  Will  may  be  never  so  strong  and  wise,  yet  still 
reach  only  its  own  peculiar  possibilities.  Individuality 
defies  theories.  The  purpose  of  this  or  that  child's  Will 
is  realized  when  it  is  set  for  the  best  that  this  or  that  child 
can  be  or  do,  now,  and  for  the  future. 

Now,  the  child  -wills  certain  things  feebly.  If  these 
are  right  things,  bring  its  Will-power  up  to  the  general 
standard  of  the  general  ideal  as  far  as  may  be  possible. 
If  these  are  wrong  things,  cultivate  the  Will  to  resist  until 
it  determines,  even  if  feebly,  in  the  right  direction. 

The  child  wills  certain  things  strongly.  If  these  are 
right,  encourage  that  use  of  the  Will.  If  these  things  are 


Let  the   Child  Prophesy  Fair.  359 

wrong,  induce  desire  for  exercise  of  Will  in  opposing 
directions.  Substitute  the  ideal  of  right  for  wrong,  and  of 
direct  desire  for  right  in  place  of  direct  opposition  to 
wrong  conduct.  Do  not  coerce,  do  not  conform,  do  not 
destroys  the  child's  Will,  but  turn  its  activity.  The  more 
Will,  the  better.  The  fault  is  not  Will-power,  but  wrong 
use  of  Will-power. 

After  consideration  of  defects  of  Will  arises  treat- 
ment of  aptitudes  and  talents.  These  are  the  child's 
capital  stock  for  life,  unless  they  are  its  handicaps.  If 
they  are  handicaps,  you  must  induce  the  child  in  some 
way  to  ignore  them,  to  put  them  out  of  its  life.  And 
here,  as  elsewhere,  direct  warfare  will  probably  keep  them 
in  the  child's  mind  and  inspire  a  determination  to  culti- 
vate them  at  the  first  opportunity.  The  wise  method  of 
suppression  is  always  indirect  and  without  ostentation. 
Any  means  which  will  awaken  interest  in  the  use  of  other 
better  talents,  which  will  call  into  action  better  attitudes 
and  secure  interest  in  their  cultivation,  will  result  in  the 
forgetting  and  disuse  of  aptitudes  and  talents  that  are 
objectionable.  Nothing  good  comes  of  direct,  avowed 
war  on  a  child's  Will,  its  talents,  its  aptitudes  or  its  gen- 
eral nature.  This  is  a  settled  law,  for  the  child's  life 
depends  upon  its  use  of  its  Will,  and  this  power  must 
often  be  caught  unawares  and  set  into  right  action  with 
the  accompanying  belief  that  desire  and  interest  command 
that  thing  alone.  Parents  and  teachers  can  well  afford  to 
nurse  the  deception  of  child-independence  and  self-direc- 
tion when  manifest  in  right  ways.  As  the  end  is  the  sym- 
metrical child-Will,  the  child's  Will,  not  yours,  must  be  the 
real  driving  force.  Hence  the  rule :  treat  objectionable 
aptitudes  and  talents  indirectly  and  seduce  the  child  to  un- 
dervalue and  neglect  them  while  directly  trying  to  awaken 
its  interest  in  and  desire  for  other  aptitudes  and  talents. 


360  The  Child?*    Will. 

If  such  talents  and  aptitudes  are  desirable,  they 
should  be  cultivated.  But  they  should  not  be  made  easy 
of  developnent,  for  ease  of  acquisition  tends  to  cheapen 
the  value  of  labor  and  to  encourage  an  overweening 
confidence  in  half  grown  powers.  Discourage  precocity. 
Throw  difficulties  in  the  way  of  natural  gifts.  Set  up  a 
very  high  ideal  of  excellence  as  the  standard  to  be  ac- 
cepted as  a  matter  of  course.  The  Will  is  here  acting 
spontaneously ;  educate  it  in  action  determined  upon 
deliberately  and  carried  on  through  difficulties.  The 
child  needs  iron  as  well  as  culture.  Culture  is  the  out- 
come of  resistance,  no  less  than  of  opportunity.  If  you 
desire  symmetry  in  the  child-Will,  remember  Emerson's 
saying :  "  Man  is  a  stupendous  antagonism,  a  dragging 
together  of  the  poles  of  the  Universe." 

There  are  certain  weaknesses  in  the  child  which  may 
hamper  it  for  life.  Here  are  weak  perceptions.  Follow 
the  exercises  in  Physical  Regime.  You  must  get  this 
child  to  see,  hear,  feel  in  a  larger  and  deeper  way.  Here 
is  a  poor  general  memory.  You  must  throw  yourself  upon 
that  faculty  to  increase  its  power.  Here  is,  say,  a  good 
memory  for  incidents,  but  none  for  figures  or  dates,  or 
names,  or  faces,  etc.  Your  ideal  now  must  be  the  date- 
memory,  or  the  memory  for  faces  with  names,  or  the 
memory  for  principles,  and  so  on.  The  child  may,  if  it 
will !  The  Will  is  master,  if  it  desire.  Here  is  a  poor 
imagination,  but  perhaps  a  strong  capacity  for  drudgery. 
A  life-long  drudge  without  imagination  is  Markham's 
"  Man  with  the  Hoe."  This  halting  and  blind  faculty 
must  be  straightened  and  given  light.  Begin  now.  Read 
lively  stories  of  the  best  kind.  Tell  stories  of  your  own 
making.  Excite  this  mind  to  see  and  hear  with  the  inner 
eye  and  ear,  by  calling  attention  to  beauty  in  nature  and 
hidden  meanings  lurking  in  all  things  and  all  life.  Put 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  361 

color  and  music  into  this  soul.  Thrust  art  into  its  field. 
Bring  into  the  mind  great  truths.  Make  existence  an 
immense  and  a  wonderfully  beautiful  thing.  Lead  the 
child  into  the  upper  world  of  honor,  right  and  the  heroism 
of  man  and  God. 

These  suggestions  are  samples  merely.  They  are 
designed  to  indicate  that  symmetry  is  your  care  and  the 
child's  privilege. 

There  are  too  many  Topseys  among  children ;  it  is  tot 
often  true  that  the  child  "  just  grows  up." 

The  great  fault  with  child-education  to-day  is  this — it 
is  left  to  itself  and  to  indirect  methods.  Socrates  among 
the  Athenians,  Froebel  among  the  Germans,  Arnold  among 
the  English,  and  Elliott  among  the  Americans,  have  all 
demanded  educational  methods  that  shall  — 

Discover  to  the  child  at  the  earliest  period,  its  real 
self; 

Discover  to  the  child  the  right  use  of  self. 

In  order  to  these  discoveries, — 

The  child  must  be  trained  in  observation.  "  The 
fundamental  method  in  all  knowledge  is  observation,  or 
watching." 

It  must  be  trained  in  keeping  a  correct  record  t/ 
knowledge  obtained. 

It  must  be  trained  in  the  processes  of  comparison  and 
inference,  or  reasoning. 

It  must  be  trained  in  accurate  and  forceful  expression 
of  thought. 

Now  these  great  teachers  have  asserted,  with  Froebel, 
certain  large  principles  as  essential  in  all  mind  training : 

"  All  education  not  founded  on  religion  is  unprodnc- 

tJYC." 

"  The  starting  point  of  all  that  appears,  of  all  that 
exists,  and  therefore  of  all  intellectual  conception,  is  act, 


362  The  Child's    Will. 

^action."     "  From  the  act,  from  action  therefore  starts  true 
human  education,  the  developing  education  of  the  man." 
Out  of  these  general  propositions  may  now  be  drawn 
four  great  fundamentals : 

1.  The  child  must  be  recognized  as  a  growing  organ- 
ism.    It  is  not  a  mere  store-house  ;  it  grows.     It  not  only 
grows  ;    it  does  so  as  an  organism.     It  is  an  individual ; 
it  must  be  brought  out. 

2.  "The  child-organism  grows  by  creative  activity" 
The   stuffing  process   and   the  forced  process  are  alike 
against  the  child's  nature.     The  child  is  incessantly  active ; 
it  must  be  made  to  create  by  action.     To  create  what  ? 
Secondarily,  a  thousand  thousand  things ;  primarily,  itself, 
its  character,  its  rights,  its  place,  its  utility,  its  happiness. 

3.  The  child,  therefore,  can  only  create  in  the  full  sense 
by  as  much  as  it  puts  the  whole  of  itself  into  whatever  it 
does.     When  it  does  that,  it  creates,  as  certainly  as  nature 
evolves  seed  and  harvest     Education,  if  it  be  true,  secures 
creation  by   the  child  —  creation  above  all  things  else. 
Mind   is   power,   not   receptivity   alone.     Active    power 
always  creates. 

4.  "  The  function  of  education  is  to  develop  the  faculties 
by  arouting  voluntary  activity.     Action  proceeding  from 
inner  impulse  is  the  one  thing  needful."     Hence  the  im- 
portance of  early  training  and  culture  of  WilL     For  if  the 
child's  Will  be  aroused  and  regulated,  its  individual  idea, 
its  true  self,  will,  in  the  future  adult,  inevitably  appear. 
If  it  also  acquire  moral  character,  the  realization  of  that 
idea  will  constitute  its  highest  and  all-essential  success  in 
life. 

But  the  end  of  all  educational  processes  centres  in 
the  Will.  Develop  in  the  child  a  strong  Will,  a  reasonable 
Will,  a  moral  Will  —  and  you  have  created  the  victorious 
human  soul.  In  Kipling's  "  Brushwood  Boy  "  there  is  a 


Let  the  Child  Prophesy  Fair.  363 

wise  little  paragraph  looking  to  that  end :  "  Not  for 
nothing  was  it  written,  '  Let  the  Consuls  look  to  it  that 
the  Republic  takes  no  harm,'  and  Georgie  was  glad  to  be 
back  in  authority  when  the  holidays  ended.  Behind  him, 
but  not  too  near,  was  the  wise  and  temperate  Head,  now 
suggesting  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  now  counselling  the 
mildness  of  the  dove;  leading  him  on  to  see,  more  by  half 
hints  than  by  any  direct  word,  how  boys  and  men  are  all 
of  a  piece,  and  how  he  who  can  handle  the  one  will  assured- 
ly in  time  control  the  other" 


And  now,  in  all  our  work,  it  is  best  to  remember  that 
life  is  not  a  judgment  to  drudgery.  It  is  a  glory,  a  dignity 
an  opportunity,  a  prelude  and  a  reward.  The  true  life 
has  deep  content ;  — 

In  itself, 

In  its  worlds, 

In  its  brotherhood, 

In  its  death-swallowing  hope. 


And  it  is  for  the  body  to  rest,  as  well  as  to  toil. 

And  it  is  for  mind  to  relax  and  change,  as  well  as  to 
concentrate. 

And  it  is  for  the  man  to  play,  to  rejoice  with  the 
hills,  to  throb  with  the  sea,  to  laugh  with  nature,  as  well 
as  to  struggle  and  pile  up  victories. 

But  it  is  for  the  Will  to  slumber  not,  to  relax  never,  to 
go  forth  day  and  night,  in  the  full  majesty  of  conquest, 

For,  TO   THIS    END   CAMK   THE  KlNG  TO  HIS  THROW*. 


INDEX. 


ABERCROMRIE,  on  blind  Dr.  Moyse,  141. 

ABSTRACTION,  and  attention,  138,  139. 

ACHIEVEMENT,  essential  of  will,  197;  of  various  wills,  35. 

ACQUIRING,  perceptions,  104;  right  habits,  57;  thought,  100. 

ACTION,  Mill  on  independent,  94;  subconscious,  196;  systematic 

and  will,  60. 

ACTIVITY,  mental,  influence  of  personal  states  on,  75. 
ACTS,  of  will,  described,  16;  modes  of  conceiving,  239;  of  willing, 

and  moods,  75,  76 ;  and  states  of  the  man,  16. 
ADDRESS,  getting  materials  for,  311. 
ADULT  life  and  habit,  80. 

AIM,  highest,  34;  one  and  some,  and  ultimate,  32-35. 
A  LIVE  man,  36. 

"ALL  things  are  thine  estate,"  verses  by  Lytton,  27. 
"A  MOOSEHEAD  Journal,"  Lowell,  241. 
ANALYSIS,  of  will,  6-10. 
ANECDOTE,  of  Blondin,  5;  by  Kane,  179;  by  Miller,  278;  of  Muley 

Moluc,  5. 

ANGER,  and  muscular  strength,  102 ;  regimes  for  cure  of,  269-273. 
"AN  Introduction  to  Psychology,"  Calkins,  133. 
APHORISM,  on  education,  347. 
APPLICATION,  of  common  sense,  215. 
APPREHENSION,  clear,  Hill  on,  209. 
APTITUDES,  treatment  for  wrong  in  child,  359,  360. 
AQUINAS,  concentration  of,  129. 
ARCHITECTURE,  and  memory,  225. 
AREAS,  brain,  codrdination  of,  60. 
ARMLESS,  editor,  40;  and  legless  girl,  113. 
ARNOLD,  and  education,  361. 
ART,  and  attention,  20;  of  expression  in  child,  357;  of 

103. 
A  SOUND  soul,  37 


366  Index. 

ASSOCIATION,  example  of,  202;  and  interest,  345;  laws  of,  107. 

ATHLETE,  Ignatius  on,  16. 

ATTENDING,  is  selecting,  9. 

ATTENTION,  and  abstraction,  139;  and  art,  20;  comes  in  heats, 

106;  child's,  exercises  for,  352;  compound,  19;  controlled  by 

will,  213;  denned,  198;  Dictionaire  Philosophique  on,  195; 

and  interest,  21;  James  on  steady,  346;  and  memory,  226; 

and  motives,  203 ;  and  muscular  control,  17, 19 ;  in  reading,  20; 

regimes  in,  199-203;  Scripture  on,  197,  198;  strain  in,  113; 

Sully  on,  197;  and  touch,  150;  Uphamon,  305;  the  watchword, 

103;  on  will,  19. 
ATTITUDE,  bad,  in  child's  education,  336,  337,  339,  343-345,  349; 

Faraday's,  in  science,  81;  for  healing,  43;  subconscious,  for 

health,  190;  will,  in  child,  forced  or  won,  337. 
AUDIENCE,  confidence  in,  314;  cooperation  of,  320;  courage  before, 

314. 
"A  WANDERING  Mind,"  verses  by  author,  289. 

BACON,  Francis,  character  of,  47;  on  conquest  of  self,  99;  on 
reading,  206;  on  weeds  in  our  nature,  261;  on  method  of  per- 
sonal influence,  317. 

"BALANCE,"  verses  by  author,  28. 

BASIC,  principles,  first  in  child's  will-culture,  333-337;  second, 
same,  337-347;  of  will  culture,  83;  requirements  in  educating 
child's  will,  330. 

BATTERY,  gun-cap,  258;  mind  like  a,  6. 

BEECHER,  H.  W.,  on  conquest  of  mob,  16;  on  habit,  283. 

BELIEF,  and  personal  influence,  317,  318. 

"BE  Master,"  verses  by  author,  56. 

BEST  practice  in  child  exercises,  351. 

BLIND,  the,  the  hearing  of,  129;  and  memory,  23;  remarkable 
powers  of,  123,  141;  Tom,  21. 

BLONDIN,  anecdote  of,  5. 

BODY,  controlled  by  mind,  71,  179,  181,  278;  Influence  over  mind, 
71, 184;  contra,  184;  influence  of  moods  on,  74;  will,  master 
of  16-19. 

BCEHME,  Browning  refers  to,  121. 

BONDAGE,  and  the  man,  11;  and  will,  10,  11. 

BRAIN  areas,  coordination  of,  60. 

"BROODING  o'er  Ills,"  verses  by  author,  273. 

BROTHER  Wolf,  legend  of,  277. 


Index.  367 

BROWNING,  lines  on  Boehme,  121 ;  illustration  for  mental  picture, 

123. 

"  BRUSHWOOD  Boy,"  Kipling's,  362. 
"BUBBLES,"  verses  by  author,  174. 
"BUSINESS  Power,"  quoted  on  memory,  234,  235;  on  feeling  in 

craftsmanship,  172;  referred  to,  29. 
BUXTON,  Powell,  on  energy,  26. 
BYRON,  Lord,  concentration  of,  21;  on  courage,  67;  his  method  of 

work,  237. 

CALKINS,  on  odors,  142;  on  taste,  133-135. 

CAN-NINO,  Able-man,  39. 

CAPACITY,  all  have  for  teaching,  329. 

CAPRICIOUS  man  is  many,  80. 

CARLYLE,  on  Cromwell,  39;  on  silence,  291 ;  on  Rosseau,  16. 

CARPENTER,  Edw.,  on  physical  vigor,  180;  on  "what  to  look  for," 
130;  W.B.,  on  judgment,  247;  on  volitional  control  of 
thought,  226. 

CAUSE,  of  willing,  11, 12 ;  of  bondage,  11 ;  of  diseased  will,  44,  297. 

CENTRAL,  nervous  processes  affect  entire  body,  112. 

CHARACTER,  of  Bacon,  47;  and  hand,  167;  and  influence,  321; 
Mirabeau's  insight  into,  320;  moral  and  will  training,  63;  and 
will,  46,  66. 

CHARACTERISTICS,  of  memory,  from  "Business  Power,"  234,  235. 

CHILD,  and  conversation,  357,  358;  destruction  of  habit  in,  353- 
356;  and  emulation,  338;  and  imitation,  338;  its  nature,  329, 
330;  and  nature  of  things,  335;  and  unintelligent  teaching, 
335. 

CHILD'S,  aptitudes,  treatment  of,  360;  ear,  exercises  for,  350;  at- 
tention,  exercises  for,  352;  contact  with  others,  356-358; 
curiosity,  338;  desire  for  independence,  342-345;  desire  to 
know,  339 ;  desire  for  happiness  of  others,  342 ;  desire  to  please 
self,  340-342;  education,  bad  attitudes  in,  336,  337,  339,  343- 
347,  349;  same,  and  Froebel,  361;  same,  errors  about,  330, 
331;  examples  of  incomplete  education,  335;  and  expression, 
357;  great  fault  in  education,  361 ;  four  fundamentals  in  edu- 
cation, 362;  fundamental  processes  in  education,  332;  habits, 
destruction  of,  353-356;  lessons  in  education,  338-345;  max- 
im in  education,  332;  second  basic  principle  in  education, 
337-347;  education  and  personal  atmosphere,  356;  practical 
rules  in  education,  345;  eye,  exercises  for,  349,  350;  habit, 


368  Index. 

In  education,  345-361;  eye,  exercises  for,  349,  350;  habit, 
destruction  of,  353-356;  suggestive  sentences  for  habitfl, 
355, 356;  hands,  exercises  for,  350 ;  imagination,  exercises  for, 
353;  memory,  exercises  for,  352;  nerves,  exercises  for,  350; 
questions,  339;  reading,  exercises  for,  352;  smell,  exercises 
for,  350;  talents,  359;  taste,  exercises  for,  350;  thinking,  ex- 
ercises for,  352;  touch,  exercises  for,  350;  will-attitude, 
forced  or  won,  337;  will-culture,  requirements  in,  330;  will, 
developing,  347-353;  will,  errors  about,  330-332;  will,  ex- 
ercises for,  348-353;  will,  and  judgment,  333-337;  will, 
mental  regimes  for,  351-353;  will,  physical  regimes  for,  348- 
351;  will,  principles  of  training,  329;  will,  and  reaction,  347; 
will,  and  reason,  333;  will,  regimes  for,  348-353;  will,  re- 
quirements in  training  of,  330;  will,  symmetry,  358-363; 
will,  war  on,  359;  will,  training,  333-347  (see  attitudes); 
same,  examples  in  reason,  334;  same,  fifth  process  in,  358- 
363;  same,  first  basic  principle,  333-337;  same,  fourth 
process  in,  356-358;  same,  second  process  in,  347-353; 
same,  third  process  in,  353-356;  weaknesses,  treatment  of, 
360. 

CHRISTIAN  Science,  72. 

CLASSES,  of  diseased  will,  44-55;  of  smells,  143,  144. 

CLEAR,  apprehension,  209;  imagination,  24;  perception,  118; 
thinking,  examples  of,  218,  219. 

COLERIDGE'S  want  of  will,  50. 

COLOR  and  eye,  111,,  :U  j^j 

COMMANDER,  Creasy  on,  in  battle,  67. 

COMMON  sense,  application  of,  215;  defined,  215;  Sully  on,  253. 

COMPOUND  attention,  19. 

CONCEIVING  acts,  modes  of,  239 

CONCENTRATION,  on  any  function,  113;  instances  of,  21;  and  in- 
terest, 21 ;  results  of,  22 ;  secret  of,  21 ;  on  will-culture,  351. 

CONDUCT,  of  life,  rules  for  will  in,  86-92. 

CONFIDENCE,  and  influence,  318,  319;  in  audience,  314. 

CONFLICTING  motives,  examples,  203. 

CONQUEST  of  self,  Bacon  on,  99;  of  mob,  Beecher's,  16. 

CONSCIOUS  effort,  goal  of  this  book,  202. 

CONSCIOUSNESS,  expansion  of.  131 ;  "general,"  158;  and  harmony, 
131. 

CONTACT  with  others,  303;  child's  training  in,  356-358. 

CONTINUITY,  mood  of,  79 ;  rules  for  same,  93. 


Index.  369 

CONTROL,  of  body  by  mind,  71,  179, 181, 278;  child's,  with  others, 
356-358;  of  mind  by  body,  184;  of  hearing,  indirect,  128;  of 
imagination,  23;  general  principles  of  control  of  others, 
317-327;  of  muscles,  and  will,  179;  and  Golden  Rule,  321;  of 
self,  suggestions  for,  109 ;  volitional  of  thought,  226. 

CONVERSATION,  child's,  357,  358. 

CONVERSION,  of  man  into  will,  13. 

CONVICTIONS,  necessary  in  public  speaking,  315,  318. 

Co6pERATiON,  by  audience,  and  influence,  320;  of  man  and  truth, 
65. 

COORDINATION  of  brain  areas,  60. 

CORRECT  style,  excessively,  284. 

COURAGE,  Byron  on,  67;  before  an  audience,  314;  example  of 
moral,  64,  314;  of  physical,  16. 

CRAFTSMANSHIP,  feeling  in,  172;  Huxley  on  his  own,  167. 

CREASY,  "Fifteen  Decisive  Battles,"  67. 

"CREED,"  by  author,  referred  to,  173. 

CROMWELL,  Carlyle  on,  39 ;  his  will,  322. 

CULTIVATING,  imagination,  310;  mood  of  expectancy,  109;  mood 
of  feeling,  77;  will,  involves  whole  man,  83. 

CURES,  deception  about,  223. 

CURIOSITY,  child's,  338. 

DAIMONION,  the,  of  Socrates,  90. 

DANGERS,  in  imagination,  253. 

DARWIN,  his  memory,  23. 

DAVID,  the  sculptor,  wonderful  memory  of,  20. 

DAVY,  Sir  Humphrey,  on  patience  and  genius,  38. 

"DEADLY  Indian  Hug  of  Eyes,"  322. 

DECEPTION,  about  cures,  223;  visual,  222. 

DECIDING  a  problem  of  motives,  248-250. 

DECISION,  hesitation  in,  69;  inability  to  make.  49;  mood  of,  79; 

off-hand,  49. 
DECISIVE  will,  16,  31. 
DEFINITION,  of  attention,  198;  of  common  sense,  215;  of  disease, 

43 ;  of  feeling,  76 ;  of  habit,  261 ;  of  mood,  69,  70,  74 ;  of  moral 

action,  264;  of  passions,  69;  of  righteousness,  66;  of  volition, 

4;  of  will,  3,  4,  7,  29;  of  education,  347. 
DELIBERATIVE  will,  16. 
DEMOSTHENES,  on  touch,  149. 
DEPRESSION,  dispelling,  270. 


370  Index. 

DEQUINCET,  his  indecision,  50. 

DESIRE  (see  child's) ;  and  habit,  263. 

DESTRUCTION  of  habit  in  child,  353-356;  (see  ch.  24.) 

DETAILS,  excessive  care  for,  27;  memory  for,  235. 

DEWEY,  Admiral,  his  courage,  16. 

DICTIONAIRE  Philosophique,  on  attention,  195. 

DIFFICULTIES,  in  curing  habits,  262;  in  overcoming  stage-fright, 
312-314;  in  public  speaking  305,  306. 

DILIGENCE  passe  sens,  maxim  of  Henry  VIII,  104. 

DIRECT,  gaze,  value  of,  119;  directions  for  same,  119;  methods 
of  education,  59,  60. 

DISCIPLINE,  as  a  teacher,  25. 

DISEASES,  of  imagination,  exercises  for,  254-257;  of  will,  43,  55, 
297;  causes  of  same,  44;  classes  of  same,  44-55;  cure  of  gen- 
eral, 65 

DIVISION,  of  moods,  74-83. 

DORMANT  will,  James  on,  58. 

DRESS,  influence  of,  on  work,  189. 

DRILL,  Emerson  on,  104;  and  system,  106. 

DRUDGERY,  work  of,  in  life,  37,  38. 

DYNAMIC  will,  5,  15,  30. 

EAR,  exercises  for,  125-131;  same  for  child,  350. 

EDUCATION,  aphorism  on,  347 ;  defects  in  modern,  59,  361 ;  and 

nervous  system,  57 ;  culminating  point  in,  114,  343;  secret  of, 

213;  what  is,  347;  of  will,  importance  of,  58  (see  child). 
EDUCATORS,  all  are,  329;  great,  methods  of,  361-363. 
EIGHTH  principle  of  personal  influence,  321. 
ELEMENTS,  four,  of  thinking,  215. 
"ELEMENTS  of  Psychology,"  Hill,  20S. 
ELIOT,  George,  works,  207. 
"ELOQUENCE,"  verses  by  author,  304. 
EMERSON,  on  conversion  of  man  into  will,  13 ;  on  conviction  in 

public  speaking,  318;  on  drill,  104;  on  habit,  104;  on  man  an 

antagonism,  360;  on  will,  6,  85. 
EMOTIONS,  and  eye,  112. 
EMULATION,  and  child,  338. 

ENERGY,  Buxton  on,  26;  mood  of,  77,  78;  rules  for  mood,  92. 
ENGLISH,  the  best,  White  on,  284;  bishop,  on  drudgery,  38. 
ENTHUSIASM,  Havelock's,  and  the  Spaniards,  319;  and  influence, 

318. 


Index,  371 

EPICTETUS,  on  the  eyes,  111;  on  putting  off,  261. 

ERRORS,  about  child's  education,  330,  331. 

ERST  Wagen,  dann  wagen,  Moltke's  motto,  82. 

EVIL  imagination,  regimes  for,  273-275. 

EXAMINATION,  self,  and  habits,  301. 

EXERCISE,  indirect  influence  of,  101;  systematic  and  will-habit, 
60;  of  expression,  307;  (see  regimes  and  other  topics). 

EXPECTANCY,  and  health,  190;  and  hearing,  13;  influence  on 
vision,  131;  and  success,  109;  mood  of,  cultivating,  109;  on 
volitional  effort,  109;  in  scientific  experiment,  81. 

EXPERIENCE,  and  will,  25. 

EXPLOSIVE  will,  30,  52;  cure  of,  53. 

EXPRESSION,  in  child's  education,  357;  and  reception,  347;  ex- 
ercise of,  307. 

EYE  (in  child  training),  exercises  for,  349, 350  (in  main  book\  and 
color,  111;  Epictetus  on,  111;  exercises  for,  115-121;  good 
example  of,  121 ;  exists  for  man,  111;  influence  of  emotions  on, 
112;  might  of  good,  119;  soul  in,  120. 

"EYES  and  No  Eyes,"  103;  secret  of  masterful,  121. 


FACTS,  and  truth,  222;  curious  on  touch,  150. 

FACULTY  of  scent,  Holmes  on,  142. 

FAITH,  popular,  in  Grant,  321 ;  power  of,  280;  and  public  speech, 

318. 

FARADAY,  and  scientific  experiment,  81. 
FAULT,  great  in  child's  education,  361. 
FEAR,  results  to  nerves,  176;  spirits  of,  256,  257. 
FECHNER,  on  "strain"  in  attention,  113. 
FEELING,  in  craftsmanship,  "Business   Power,"   172;  inhibited, 

151 ;  mood  of,  and  will,  76,  77;  rules  for  mood  of,  92. 
FEELINGS,  defined,  76;  influence  of  hurtful,  186. 
FICKLENESS  of  will,  51. 

FIELDS,  C.  W.  his  persistence,  40;  on  Atlantic  Cable,  258. 
FIRST  process  in  child's  will-culture,  333-347. 
"FIFTEEN  Decisive  Battles,"  Creasy,  67. 
FIFTH  process  in  child's  will-culture,  358-363. 
FLETCHER,  Horace,  on  weak  habit  of  thought,  253. 
FORE-GETTING  and  forgetting,  235. 
FORESEEING,  and  area  of  resolution,  233 
FOSTER,  on  nature's  healing  power,  157. 


372  Index. 

FOURTH,  principle  in  regimes,  102 ;  process  in  child's  will-culture, 

356-358. 

FRANCIS,  St.,  legend  of,  277. 

FREEDOM  of  will,  9-12;  Johnson  on,  11;  law  of,  12. 
FRIGHT,  stage,  312-314. 
FROEBEL,  and  education,  361,  362. 
FULLER,  on  terra  incognita  in  self,  242. 
FUNCTION,  indirect  influence  of,  101:  influence  of  concentration 

on,  113. 

GARRULOUSNESS,  cure  of  289-291. 

GENERAL,  diseases  of  will,  55;  division  of  moods,  74-76;  func- 
tion of  will,  16,  29;  principles  of  control  of  others,  317-324; 
rules,  first  set,  86-92;  second  set,  92-94. 

GLADSTONE,  on  powers  in  all  men,  41. 

GOAL,  of  this  book,  202 ;  of  harmony,  64-66. 

GOETHE,  on  visual  memory,  23;  on  imagination,  24. 

GOLDEN  Rule,  politeness  the  veneer  of,  300;  and  personal  in- 
fluence, 321. 

GRADES  of  will,  47,  48. 

GRANT,  and  enemy's  fear,  256;  popular  faith  in,  321;  his  will,  33; 
called  "Useless  Grant,"  33. 

GRIP-POWER,  practice  in  and  will,  101. 

GROWTH  of  will,  two-fold  process  of,  61. 

GUN-CAP  battery,  258. 


HABIT,  Beecher  on,  283;  defined,  261;  desire  to  overcome,  263; 
destruction  of,  in  child,  353-356;  Emerson  on,  104;  and  hear- 
ing, 130;  a  law  of  habit-cure,  262;  liquor,  cure  of,  275-281; 
Mulford  on,  283;  Reid  on,  104;  religion  and,  280;  second 
nature,  80;  success  facilitated  by,  80;  of  systematic  will- 
action,  60 ;  tobacco,  cure  of  (  see  liquor). 

HABITS,  destruction  of  in  child,  353-356;  difficulties  in  curing, 
262;  James  on,  57,  263,  264;  a  law  of  cure  of,  262;  self-exam- 
ination and,  301 ;  Mark  Twain  on,  curing,  263;  and  will,  61. 

HAIR-TRIGGER  wills,  250. 

HALLUCINATIONS,  23,  254,  255. 

HAMILTON,  Sir  W.,  subconscious  action  of,  198. 

HAMPDEN'S  self-mastery,  319. 

HAND,  the,  and  progress,  168. 


Index.  373 

HANDS,  exercises  for,  169-173;  for  child's,  350;  and  one's  nature, 

167. 

"  HARMONY,"  verses  by  author,  156. 
HARMONY,  goal  of,  64-66;  and  consciousness,  131. 

HASTE,  injurious  in  work,  173. 

HATFIELD,  Dr.  M.  P.,  on  acute  hearing  of  blind,  129. 

HAYDN,  his  application  to  work,  38;  his  dress  and  his  art,  189. 

HEADSTRONG  will,  54. 

HEALING,  mental,  by  suggestion,  71 ;  nature's,  157. 

HEALTH,  exercises  for,  187-191 ;  expectancy  and,  190;  importance 
to  will,  184;  mental  effort  for,  43;  subconscious  attitude  for, 
190;  suggestion  on,  185. 

"HEALTH,"  verses  by  author,  182. 

HEALTHY  will,  250. 

HEARING,  acute,  illustration  of,  123 ;  and  blind,  129 ;  and  exclusion 
of  sounds,  124;  and  expectancy,  130;  and  habit,  130;  height- 
ened by  will,  131 ;  indirect  control  of,  128 ;  limit  of  human,  124. 

"HEED  Not  Thy  Moods,"  verses  by  author,  68. 

HEGEL,  his  concentration,  21. 

HENRY  VIII,  his  maxim,  104. 

HESIOD,  on  the  "putter  off,"  261. 

HESITATION,  in  decision,  69 ;  of  speech,  cure  of,  285-287. 

HILL,  on  breaking  up  wholes  in  reading,  209. 

HILLIS,  on  man  and  universe,  157;  on  forgetting  with  memory, 
225 ;  on  subconscious  action,  205. 

HOLMES,  on  seat  of  the  will,  15;  on  faculty  of  scent,  142;  on  sub- 
conscious action,  196;  on  music  bath,  189;  on  slang,  284. 

HOWARD,  his  symmetrical  will,  13. 

"How  Came  Imagination?"  verses  by  author,  236. 

HUGO,  on  Wellington,  322. 

HUXLEY,  his  manual  skill,  167. 

HYPNOTISM,  and  will,  323. 

ILLUSIONS,  illustrations  of,  23;  Sully  on,  253. 

ILLY-DEVELOPED  mind,  and  will,  45. 

IMAGES,  memory,  24,  225,  226. 

IMAGINATION,  clear,  24;  controlled,  23;  cultivation  of,  310;  dan- 
gers of,  253;  diseases  of,  254-257;  Goethe  on,  24;  diseased, 
regimes  for,  254-257;  evil,  regimes  for,  273-275;  importance 
of,  238;  involves  memory,  23;  Palmer  on  popular  lack  of, 
310;  regimes  in,  239-251;  suggestions  for,  107. 


374  Index. 

IMITATION,  and  child,  338. 
IMPELLING  will,  16,  31. 
IMPOSSIBILITY,  cannot  be  willed,  5. 
IMPULSE,  want  of  volitional,  48. 
INABILITY,  to  decide,  49;  to  will,  45 
INCUBATION,  subconscious,  85. 
INDECISION,  regimes  for,  294-296. 
INDIRECT,  results  from  training,  59,  348. 

INFLUENCE,  Bacon  on,  317;  of  belief,  318;  body  over  mind,  184; 
and  character,  321;  concentration  on  function,  113;  of  confi- 
dence, 314,  318,  319;  cooperation  by  audience,  320;  dress  on 
work,  189;  emotions  on  eye,  112;  of  enthusiasm,  318;  ex- 
pectancy on  vision,  130;  same  on  volitional  effort,  109;  hurt- 
ful feelings,  186;  of  exercise,  101;  indirect,  of  function,  100- 
102;  of  insight,  320;  mind  over  body,  71,  184;  moods  over 
body,  74 ;  moods  over  mind,  75 ;  mood  of  f eeling,  on  will,  76, 
77;  and  motives,  319;  principles  of,  317-324;  secret  of,  322; 
of  self-mastery  on  mind,  75;  of  "suggestion,"  for  health,  185; 
of  thought  on  any  function,  100. 
INHIBITION,  18;  of  feeling,  151. 
INNER  origin  of  nervous  stimulation,  112. 
INSANE,  the  "windup,"  105;  and  will,  44. 
INSIGHT,  Mirabeau's,  320;  and  influence,  320. 
INTENSITY,  of  will,  17,  18. 

INTEREST,  and  concentration,  21;  enhanced  by  attention,  21; 
laws  of,  345-347;  mood  of,  and  will,  22,  76,  77;  two  varieties 
76. 

"I  RESOLVE,"  31. 

"IRONSIDES,"  Cromwell's  nickname,  322. 
IRON  will,  67. 
IRRESOLUTE  man,  the,  79. 
IRRITABILITY,  regimes  for,  269-273. 

JACOBY,  on  worry,  270,  271. 

JAMES,  on  acquiring  right  habits,  57 ;  on  case  of  armless  and  leg- 
less girl,  113;  on  culminating  point  in  education,  114,  347; 
on  dispelling  depression,  270;  on  dormant  will;  58;  on  es- 
sential achievement  of  will,  197;  on  curing  habit,  263, 
264;  on  instance  of  poor  teaching,  335;  on  laws  of  interest, 
345-347;  on  memory-images,  226;  on  modes  of  conceiving 
acts,  239;  on  strength  of  motives,  203. 


Index.  375 

JASTROW,  on  subconscious  incubation,  86. 

JONSON,  Ben,  verses  on  humour,  211 ;  Samuel,  on  free  agency,  11. 
JUDGMENT,  and  child's  will-culture,  333;  of  distance  by  armless 
and  legless  girl,  113;  requires  will,  247. 

KANE,  and  mind's  power  over  body,  179. 
KEPLER,  immense  labor  of,  38. 

KIPLING,  and  wise  teacher,  362,  363;  "Brushwood  Boy;"  "Phan- 
tom 'Rickshaw,"  23. 
KITTO,  on  memory-visions,  225. 
"KNIGHTED,"  verses  by  author,  316. 
KOSSUTH,  example  of  eloquence,  315;  his  rule  for  reading,  20. 


LANGUAGE,  developing,  307. 

LAVOISIER,  on  thinking  in  words,  305. 

LAW,  and  freedom,  12;  of  gravitation,  and  Newton,  86;  of  habit- 
cure,  262;  a,  of  memory,  232;  of  right  will,  67;  of  sense-use, 
121;  and  will,  12. 

LAWS,  of  association,  107;  of  interest,  345-347. 

LEDYARD,  his  invincible  will,  66. 

LEGEND,  of  Brother  Wolf,  277. 

LETTER,  kind  to  send,  91. 

LIFE,  lower  and  the  will,  3;  adult  and  habit,  80;  and  individual, 
32;  realizing  from  within,  95;  rules  for  conduct  of,  86-92; 
sense,  importance  of,  94. 

LINCOLN,  before  an  audience,  314. 

LINES,  from  Byron,  67;  Browning,  121;  Jonson,  211;  Longfellow, 
79;  of  least  resistance,  60. 

LINKS,  connecting,  in  speaking,  309. 

LIQUOR  habit,  cure  of,  275-281. 

LOGIC,  knowledge  of  not  necessary  to  thinking,  215 

LONGFELLOW,  "Morituri  Salutamus,"  79. 

LOWELL,  "A  Moosehead  Journal,"  241;  on  seeing,  241;  on  self- 
knowledge,  242. 

LUTHER,  to  Erasmus,  64. 

LYTTON,  verses  by,  27. 

MACAULAT,  developing  interest,  22;  improving  memory,  23. 
McCLELLAN,  on  all  are  educators,  329. 


376  Index. 

"MAN  With  The  Hoe,"  Markham,  360. 

MAN,  an  antagonism,  360;  bondage  and  the,  11;  capricious  is 
many,  80;  center  of  universe,  157;  conversion  of  into  will,  13; 
eye  exists  for,  111;  is  the  will,  13,  14. 

MANUAL  skill,  Huxley's,  167;  and  feeling,  172. 

MANCHESTER  Philosophical  Memoirs,  123. 

MARCEL,  on  the  secret  of  education,  213. 

MARDEN,  training  under  pressure,  70. 

MARK  Twain,  on  curing  habits,  263. 

MASTERY,  self,  influence  of,  319. 

MARVEL,  Ike,  on  will,  29. 

MATERIAL,  getting  for  speech,  311. 

MATTHEWS,  on  the  nose,  141;  on  overplanning,  81. 

MAUDSLEY,  on  control  of  muscles,  179. 

MAXIM,  of  Henry  VIII,  104;  in  best  child  training,  332. 

MEDICINE,  a  food,  73. 

MEMORY,  and  architecture,  225;  and  attention,  226;  and  the  blind, 
23;  characteristics  of,  234,  235;  examples  of,  23;  for  details, 
235;  forgetting  with,  225;  Goethe's  visual,  24;  images,  226; 
a  law  of,  232;  and  motives,  203;  regimes  in,  226-234;  sugges- 
tions for,  106;  talismanic  words  for,  235;  visions.  225;  visual, 
23;  and  will,  22. 

MENTAL,  actions,  influence  on  person,  75;  healing,  is  by  "sugges- 
tion," 71;  health,  222;  medicine,  185;  none  originated  by 
will,  61,  62;  powers,  involved  in  will-training,  62;  regimes, 
suggestions  for,  106;  regimes,  for  child,  351-353;  science,  73; 
speaking,  308;  states  and  willing,  75,  76;  visions,  Goethe's, 
24;  same,  illustration  for,  123. 

METAPHYSICAL  healing,  two  phases  of,  71. 

METHOD,  of  personal  influence,  Bacon  on,  317;  of  work,  Byron's, 
237;  Haydn's,  189;  Trollope's,  22;  Schopenhauer's,  238. 

MILITARY  commander,  Creasy,  on  67. 

MILL,  on  independence,  94. 

MILLER,  anecdote  of  restored  vigor,  278. 

MyiD,  a  battery,  6;  embraces  what,  65;  illy-developed  and  will, 
45;  influence  over  body,  5,  71,  130,  179,  181,  184,  278;  con- 
tra, 184;  of  moods  over,  75;  and  intensity  of  will,  17, 18;  in 
look,  119;  and  matter,  71 ;  rules  for  moods  of,  92-94;  strong, 
213;  subconscious,  17;  subjective,  238;  unconscious,  17;  un- 
derground, 78;  wandering,  287-289;  will,  lord  of,  16,  19-26. 

"Muo>  Power  and  Privileges,"  Olston,  238. 


Index. 


377 


MIRABEAU,  his  insight,  320;  and  "impossible,"  87;  retort  to  as- 
sailants, 322. 

MITCHELL,  the  blind  mute,  141. 

MODES,  of  conceiving  acts,  239. 

MOHAMMET'S  visions,  21. 

MOLTKE,  his  motto,  82. 

MOOD,  of  continuity,  79;  rules  for  same,  93;  definition  of,  69;  of 
decision,  79;  rules  for  same,  92;  of  energy,  77,  78;  rules  for 
same,  92;  of  expectancy,  cultivating,  109;  of  feeling  or  inter- 
est, 76,  77;  rules  for,  92;  of  permission,  78,  79;  of  reason,  81; 
rules  for  same,  93;  of  righteousness,  82;  rules  for,  93;  of  un- 
derstanding, 80;  rules  for,  93. 

MOODS,  and  acts  of  willing,  75,  76;  author  on,  70;  division  of, 
74-76;  forced  by  will,  22;  influence  on  body,  74;  same,  on 
mind,  75;  of  mind,  rules  referring  to,  92-94;  right,  and  will, 
82 ;  a  study  of,  69 ;  summary  of,  70,  71 ;  Titchener  on,  69 ;  and 
will,  22,  75 ;  of  will,  76-83 ;  volitional,  76. 

MOORE,  on  Byron,  237. 

MORAL,  action,  defined,  264;  life  and  will,  63,  64;  courage,  314; 
self,  will  high  priest  of,  16,  26,  27. 

MOTIVE,  a,  what  is,  9;  restraining,  203;  to  live,  power  of,  184. 

MOTIVES,  and  attention,  203;  and  clear  perceptions,  118;  con- 
flicting, 203 ;  occasions,  not  causes,  of  volitions,  10 ;  considera- 
tion of,  and  regimes,  118;  and  sufficient  reason,  9;  near  and 
remote,  90;  and  personal  influence,  319;  problem  of,  248-250; 
and  strength  of  attention,  203 ;  weighing,  90. 

MOTLEY,  on  Philip  II,  27;  on  William  of  Orange,  41. 

MOTSE,  Dr.,  the  blind,  141. 

MULFORD,  on  habit,  283;  on  value  of  rest,  183. 

MUSCULAR  strength,  and  anger,  102. 

Music  bath,  189. 

NAPOLEON,  valuation  of  nose,  142. 

NATURE'S  healing,  Foster  on,  157. 

NATURE,  of  child,  329,  330;  indicated  by  hands,  167;  complex  of 
touch,  149;  second,  habit  is  in  adult  life,  80;  of  things,  and 
child,  335;  of  will,  29. 

NERVES,  importance  of  steady,  175;  olfactory  and  will,  144; 
regimes  for,  159-165 ;  result  of  fear  on,  176. 

NERVOUS,  processes  affect  entire  system,  112;  system  and  educa- 
tion, 57 ;  stimulation,  inner  origin  of,  1 12 ;  stimuli,  two  kinds 
of,  113;  system,  a  tyrant,  164;  troubles  and  will,  164,  165. 


378  Index. 

"NESCIA  virtus  stare  loco,"  69. 

NESTOR,  on  getting  ready,  312. 

NEWTON,  how  discovered  law  of  gravity,  86 

NICKNAMES,  of  Cromwell,  322 ;  Grant,  33. 

NORMAL  personality,  65. 

NOSE,  Matthew  on,  141. 

OBSERVATION,  and  will-growth,  103. 
OBSTINACY,  cure  of,  53. 
ODORS,  Calkins  on,  142. 
OFF-HAND  decisions,  49. 
OLFACTORY  nerves,  and  will,  144. 

OLSTON,  on  subjective  mind,  238,  "Mind    Power  and  Privi- 
leges." 

OPINION,  want  of,  regimes  for,  296,  297. 

OPINION ATIVENESS,  regimes  for,  299-301 ;  lines  on,  by  author,  298. 
OPPORTUNITY  and  will,  41. 
"OXIDIZED"  mind,  255. 

PALMER,  on  popular  lack  of  imagination,  310;  on  talking,  306;  on 

words  first  used,  307. 
PARALYSIS  of  will,  45. 
PARKMAN,  his  memory,  23 
PASSIONS,  defined,  69. 
PATIENCE,  Davy  on,  38;  and  will,  38. 
PERCEPTION,  acquired,  104;  clear,  and  motives,  118;  suggestions 

for,  106;  and  will-culture,  102. 
PERFECT  will,  and  moods,  82. 
PERMISSION,  mood  of,  78,  79. 

PERSEVERANCE,  want  of,  51 ;  of  C.  W.  Field,  40;  and  will,  7,  16,  30. 
PERSONAL  atmosphere,  and  child's  education,  356 ;  magnetism , 

not  hypnotism,  323;  secret  of,  323;  (see  influence). 
PERSONALITY,  normal,  65. 
PERVERSITY,  cure  of,  54. 
PHILIP  II,  obstinacy  of,  53;  his  care  for  petty  details,  27;  and 

William  of  Orange,  322. 
PHYSICIAN,  the,  and  psychic  power,  191. 
PHYSICAL,  conditions,  of  smell,  little  known,  144;  and  will,  184; 

regimes  for  child,  348-351;  regimes,  principles  of,  100-109; 

vigor,  remarkable,  181,  278;  and  will,  184. 
PHRASE,  "Freedom  of  Will,"  tautology,  10. 


Index.  379 

PITT,  keynote  of  his  training,  33. 

PIZARRO,  inspiring  his  followers,  318. 

PLOW,  word  using  is  mental,  308. 

POLITENESS,  the  veneer  of  Golden  Rule,  300. 

POPULAR,  thinking,  214;  lack  of  imagination,  310. 

PORTER,  Noah,  on  sense  of  touch,  149. 

POWER,  the,  of  faith,  280;  in  all  men,  41;  of  motive  to  live,  184; 

of  will,  analyzed,  6,  7. 
PRACTICE,  actual,  in  public  speaking,  309;  in  grip-power,  and 

will,  101 ;  suggestions  for,  99. 
PREPARATION,  Moltke's  motto  on,  82;  Nestor  on,  312;  Phillips 

on,  312;  for  public  speaking,  311,  312. 
PRESCOTT,  his  memory,  23. 
PRINCIPLES,  of  child's  will-culture,  361,  362;  of  personal  influence, 

317-324;  of  the  regimes,  100-109;  basic,  of  will-culture,  83. 
PROBLEM,  of  motives  decided,  248-250;  of  child's  will-culture, 

333. 
PROCESS,  first,  in  child's  will-culture,  333-347;  fifth,  in  same, 

358-363;  fourth,  in  same,  356-358;  fundamental,  in  same, 

332-364;  second,  in  same,  347-353 ;  third,  in  same,  353-356. 
PROCESSES,  central,  effect  whole  system,  112;  two,  in  growth  of 

will,  61. 

PROFANITY,  regimes  for,  265. 
PROGRESS,  and  the  hand,  168. 
"PSYCHOLOGY,  An  Introduction  to,"  Calkins,  133;  "Elements 

of,"  Hill,  209;  "Outlines  of,"  Royce,  99;  "An  Outline  of," 

Titchener,  69. 
PUBLIC  speaking,  connecting  links  in,  309;  conviction  in,  315; 

difficulties  in,  305;  actual  practice  in,  309;  preparation  for, 

311 ;  regimes  for,  306-315. 
PURPOSES,  conflicting,  47. 
PURPOSIVE  mind,  what  it  says,  31. 
PUTTING  things  off,  261. 

RAPID  attention,  Upham  on,  305. 

READ,  how  to,  206. 

READING,  and  attention,  20;  Bacon  on,  206;  breaking  up  wholes 

in,  209;  Kossuth's  rule  for,  20;  real,  210;  regimes  in,  206-211; 

and  thinking,  213. 
REAL  vision,  102,  103. 
REALIZING  life  from  within,  95. 


380  Index. 

REASON,  and  child's  will-culture,  333;  mood  of,  81;  rules  for 
mood  of,  93 ;  motives  decide  the  sufficient  reason,  9 ;  sufficient, 
8, 9,  50. 

REGIMES,  for  child's  will,  348-3.55;  principles  of,  100-109;  for 
anger,  269-273 ;  in  attention,  199-203 ;  for  diseases  of  imagina- 
tion, 254-257;  for  exaggeration,  266-269;  evil  imagination, 
273-275;  for  garrulousness,  289-291;  for  hesitation  of 
speech,  284-287;  in  imagination,  239-251;  for  indecision, 
294-296;  for  irritability,  269-273;  for  liquor  habit,  275-281; 
in  memory,  226-234;  for  mind  wandering,  287-289;  for  opin- 
ionativeness,  299-301;  for  profanity,  264,  265;  purpose  of, 
and  motive,  118;  for  slang,  283,  284;  for  tobacco  habit, 
275-281;  for  the  eye,  115-121;  for  the  ear,  125-131;  for  the 
hand,  169-173;  for  health,  187-191;  for  the  nerves,  159-165; 
Physical,  97;  for  public  speaking,  306-315;  in  reading,  206- 
211;  for  smell,  145-147;  for  steadiness,  176-181 ;  suggestion 
for  all,  106;  for  taste,  135-139;  in  thinking,  216-223;  for 
thoughtlessness,  292-294;  for  touch,  151-155;  for  want  of 
opinion,  296,  297. 

REID,  on  acquired  perceptions,  104. 

RELATION,  of  physical  exercises  to  will,  103-105. 

RELIGIOUS  cure,  of  tobacco  habit,  280. 

RESOLUTION,  for  work  of  this  book,  98;  for  child's  right  contact 
with  others,  356-363. 

REST,  rule  for  regimes,  106;  value  of,  183,  186. 

RESTORATION,  remarkable  cases  of,  5,  181,  278. 

RIBOT,  on  individual  tone,  146 ;  on  strong  will,  39 ;  on  the  will,  8. 

RIGHT  conceptions,  importance  of,  238;  habits,  acquiring,  57; 
moods,  and  will,  64,  82; 

RIGHTEOUSNESS,  definition  of,  66 ;  mood  of,  82 ;  rules  for  mood,  93 ; 
and  will,  35,  64,  66. 

ROYCE,  on  attention  and  choosing,  9 ;  on  senses  in  mental  life, 
99;  on  sense  points  in  skin,  149;  on  will,  4. 

RULE,  Golden,  politeness  the  veneer  of,  300. 

RULES,  of  action,  neglect,  1 1 ;  in  child's  education,  361 ;  for  conduct 
of  life,  86-92;  some,  for  health,  185-191;  of  logic  and  think- 
ing, 215;  referring  to  moods  of  mind,  92-94;  for  mood  of 
continuity,  93;  for  mood  of  decision,  92;  for  mood  of  energy, 
92 ;  for  mood  of  feeling,  92 ;  for  mood  of  reason,  93 ;  of  rest  in 
regimes,  106 ;  for  mood  of  righteousness,  93 ;  for  mood  of  un- 
derstanding, 93 ;  and  subconscious  mind,  95. 


Index.  381 

SAINT  Francis,  legend  of,  277. 

SALISBURY,  on  healing  attitude,  43. 

SANDOW,  strength  increased  by  anger,  102. 

SAUNDERSON,  blind,  his  powers,  123. 

SCENT,  Holmes  on  faculty  of,  142. 

SCHOFIELD,  on  mental  medicine,  185. 

SCHOPENHAUER,  his  method  of  work,  238. 

SCIENCE,  Christian,  72,  254;  mental,  73  ;  and  superstition,  223. 

SCIENTIFIC  experiment,  Faraday  in,  81. 

SCRIPTURE,  on  attention,  197,  198;  steadiness,  175;  on  will  in- 
creased by  physical  exercise,  101;  on  watching,  102;  on 
steadiness  through  practice,  176. 

SEAT,  of  will,  15. 

SECOND,  general  division  of  moods,  75;  nature  in  adult  life,  80; 
principle  of  regimes,  100;  process  in  child's  will-culture, 
347-353 ;  set  of  general  rules,  92-94. 

SECRET,  of  concentration,  21 ;  of  education,  213;  of  personal  mag- 
netism, 322,  323;  of  masterful  eyes,  121;  of  great  thinking, 
218;  of  victory,  312;  of  will,  226. 

SEEING,  divine  faculty  of,  241. 

SELF,  control,  suggestions  for,  109;  conquest  of,  90;  examina- 
tion and  habit,  301 ;  mastered  will,  29;  mastery  and  influence, 
319;  perception,  suggestions  for,  108;  moral,  will  high  priest 
of,  26; 

'SELF'  and  Worlds,"  verses  by  author.  148. 

SELFISHNESS,  and  self-interest,  37,  340. 

SELF  knowledge,  Lowell  on,  242. 

SENECA,  on  greatest  men,  63.. 

"SENSE  Joys,"  verses  by  author,  42. 

SENSE,  all  in  touch,  149;  assists  sense,  124;  common,  215;  life, 
importance  of,  99;  of  smell,  142;  in  soul,  130;  soul  in,  121; 
touch  the  leading,  149;  use,  law  of,  121. 

SENSES,  other  and  taste,  133-135;  points  of,  in  skin,  149;  and  will, 
18,  19;  work  of  in  development,  99. 

SENTENCES,  for  cure  of  child's  habits,  355,  356;  on  success, 
218,  219. 

SEVENTH  principle  of  regimes,  109. 

SERVICE,  and  universe,  37. 

SHAKESPEARE,  "lack-brain,"  88;  lines,  165. 

SILENCE,  Carlyle  on,  291. 

SIXTH  principle  of  regimes,  105. 


382  Index. 

SKILL,  Huxley,  on  own,  167;  and  will,  20. 

SKILLED  craftsmanship,  172. 

SLANG,  Holmes  on,  284;  regimes  for,  283,  284. 

SMELL,  classification  of,  143,  144;  complex  nature  of,  143;  exer- 
cises in,  145-147;  Holmes  on,  142;  conditions  of  little  known, 
144;  a  mute's  use  of,  141;  remarkable  power  of,  141,  146; 
sense  of,  neglected,  142. 

SMILES,  on  enthusiasm,  318. 

SOCRATES,  his  "daimonion,"  90;  reference  to,  361. 

SOME  aim  and  ultimate,  32-35. 

SOUL,  in  eye,  120;  in  sense,  121,  130;  a  sound,  37. 

"SPASM  to  collect  whole  man,"  6. 

SPEAKING,  public,  actual  practice  in,  309;  connecting  links  in, 
309;  convictions  in,  309;  cultivating  imagination  for,  310; 
difficulties  in,  305,  306;  getting  materials  for,  310;  mental, 
308;  preparation  for,  311 ;  regimes  for,  306-315; 

"SPEECH,"  verses  by  author,  302. 

SPEECH,  excessively  correct,  284;  hesitation  of,  regimes  for, 
284-287;  by  Kossuth,  315. 

SPIRITS,  of  fear,  256,  257. 

STAGE  fright,  overcoming,  312-314. 

STATES,  of  the  man,  and  will,  16;  mental  and  willing,  75,  76; 
of  person,  influence  of  on  mental  activity,  75. 

STATIC  will,  5,  15,  30;  perfect,  83. 

STEADINESS,  importance  of,  175;  regimes  for,  176-181;  Scripture 
on,  175,  176. 

STEAM,  like  will,  30. 

STEPS  in  willing,  8,  9,  76. 

STEWART'S  account  of  Mitchell,  the  mute,  141. 

STIMULATION,  inner,  of  nervous  processes,  112. 

STIMULI,  mental,  and  will,  113;  nervous,  two  kinds,  113. 

STORED  will-power,  5,  16. 

STRAIN,  in  attention,  113. 

STRENGTH,  of  motives,  James  on,  203 ;  physical,  as  ideal,  an  evil,  67. 

STRONG  mind,  213;  and  attention,  213;  will,  39. 

"SUBCONSCIOUS,  The,"  Jastrow,  85. 

SUBCONSCIOUS,  action,  196,  205;  attitude,  for  health,  190;  in- 
cubation, 85;  mind,  17. 

SUBJECTIVE,  mind,  Olston  on,  238;  rules  and,  95. 

SUCCESS,  and  expectancy,  109;  first  essential  of,  36;  habit  facili- 
tates, 80;  sentences  on,  218,  219. 


Index.  383 

SUFFICIENT  Reason,  8,  50;  motives  constitute,  9. 

SUGGESTIONS,  for  control  of  others,  324-327;  and  healing,  71;  for 
imagination,  107;  influence  of,  for  health,  185;  for  memory, 
106;  for  practice,  99;  for  perception,  106;  for  all  regimes, 
106;  for  self-control,  109;  for  self-perception,  108;  and  will 
culture,  103 

SULLY,  on  attention,  197, 198;  on  the  blind  picturing  objects,  112; 
on  common  sense,  253 ;  on  foreseeing  action  and  resolution, 
233;  on  a  law  of  memory,  232. 

SUMMARY,  of  moods,  70. 

SUNDAY  rest,  value  of,  186. 

SYMMETRY  of  will,  358;  child's,  358-363. 

SYSTEM,  nervous,  and  education,  57 ;  value  of,  in  drill,  105. 

SYSTEMATIC  exercises,  for  will,  60. 

TALISMANIC  sentences,  for  growing  consciousness,  131 ;  for  hear- 
ing, 131 ;  for  memory,  235;  for  winning  out,  281. 

TALKING,  Palmer  on,  306. 

"TASTE,"  verses  by  author,  132. 

TASTE,  Calkins  on,  133-135;  exercises  in,  135-139;  number  of, 
134;  and  touch,  135;  text  book  on,  133. 

TEACHING,  unintelligent,  335. 

TEMPERAMENT,  drill  a  substitute  for,  104. 

"TEN  Golden  Laws,"  referred  to,  173. 

TENNYSON,  lines  from,  2. 

TENSION  or  strain  in  concentration,  113. 

TERRA  incognita,  in  man,  242. 

"THE  Bible  and  The  New  Thought,"  referred  to,  190. 

"THE  Culture  of  Courage,"  272,  314;  quoted,  on  faith,  280;  OB 
mental  health,  222. 

THE  Ego,  Dictionaire  Philosophique  on,  195. 

"THE  Fragrance,"  verses  by  author,  140. 

"THE  Great  Psychic  Flower,"  verses  by  author,  84. 

"THE  Hand,"  verses  by  author,  166. 

"THE  King,"  verses  by  author,  96. 

"THE  Man  Who  Failed,"  illustration,  275. 

"THE  Man  Who  Makes  Excuses,"  illustration,  276. 

"THE  Man  Who  Tried  Again,"  illustration,  276. 

"THE  Man  Who  Won,"  illustration,  275. 

"THE  Personal  Atmosphere,"  referred  to,  317. 

"THE  Riddle,"  verses  by  author,  110. 


384  Index. 

"THE  Soul  and  The  Ear,"  verses  by  author,  122. 

"THE  Will  and  The  Child,",  verses  by  author,  328. 

"THE  Will  is  The  Man,"  verses  by  author,  14. 

THEORY,  Author's  of  Will,  8. 

THING-FACTS,  222. 

THINKING,  clear,  examples  of,  218,  219;  and  concentration, 
218-220;  four  elements  of,  215;  knowledge  of  logic  not  neces- 
sary to,  215;  not  popular,  213,  214;  and  reading,  213;  regimes 
in,  21&-223;  secret  of  great,  218;  and  will,  21,  216;  in  words, 
305. 

THIRD  principle  of  regimes,  102 ;  process  in  child's  will-culture, 
353-356. 

"THOUGHT,"  verses  by  author,  212. 

THOUGHT,  acquiring,  306;  influence  of,  on  functions,  100;  prepa- 
ration of,  for  public  speaking,  311 ;  topics  of,  for  exercise,  220; 
volitional  control  of,  226. 

THOUGHTLESSNESS,  regimes  for,  292-294. 

"THY  Self,"  verses  by  author,  192 

"'Tis  Wise  Surrender  Crowns  the  King,"  282 

TITCHENER,  on  moods,  69. 

TOBACCO  habit,  cure,  275-281 ;  and  religion,  280. 

TONIC,  of  the  resolute  will,  31. 

TOPSEYS,  among  children,  361. 

TOUCH,  and  attention,  151;  complex  nature  of,  149;  confounded 
with  taste,  135;  curious  facts  about,  150;  Demosthenes  on, 
149;  the  leading  sense  (Porter),  149;  regimes  in,  151-155; 
Royce  on,  149;  and  tongue,  135;  and  will,  151. 

TRAINING  of  child's  will,  332-347;  of  will,  25;  Emerson  on,  85; 
mental  powers  involved  in,  62;  and  mind,  62;  and  moral 
character,  63;  neglected,  58;  of  Pitt,  33;  under  pressure,  70; 
results  of,  direct  and  indirect,  59. 

TROLLOPE,  method  of  work,  22. 

TROUBLES,  nervous,  and  will,  164. 

TRUTH,  and  facts,  222. 

TWITCHING,  cure  of,  179;  and  clothing,  150. 

TYSON,  the  bushman,  26. 

UNCONSCIOUS,  actions,  and  will,  4;  mind,  17, 85,  95, 190, 196, 205, 

238. 

UNDERGROUND  mind,  78. 
UNDERSTANDING,  mood  of,  80;  rules  for  mood  of,  93. 


Index.  385 

UNIVERSE,  proceeds  through  self,  95;  each  soul  center  of,  157; 

and  service,  37. 
UPHAM,  on  the  blind  and  smell,  141;  on  rapid  attention,  305;  on 

willing  to  imagine,  237, 
"USELESS  Grant,"  nickname,  33. 
USE  of  senses,  law  of,  121. 

VALUE,  of  direct  gaze,  119;  of  hand,  168;  of  rest,  183,  186;  of  soul 

in  sense,  130;  of  systematic  drill,  105. 
VARIETY  of  interests,  Mulford  on,  183. 
VENEER,  politeness  the,  of  Golden  Rule,  300. 
VERSES,  by  author,  see  table  of  contents;  by  Browning,  121,  123; 

Byron,  67;  Jonson,  Ben,  211;  Longfellow,  79;  by  Lytton, 

27;  Shakespeare,  165;  Tennyson,  2. 
VICTORY,  secret  of,  312. 
VIGILANCE,  quotation  on,  91. 
VIGOR,  remarkable  case  of,  180,  278. 
VINCI,  Leonardo  da,  -and  invention,  47. 

VISION,  differences  in,  117;  illustration  for  mental,  123;  expecta- 
tion and,  130;  mental,  24;  real,  102,  103;  remarkable  case  of, 

114,  121;  and  will,  113. 

VISUAL,  deception,  222 ;  memory,  23,  24,  225. 
VOLITION,  definition  of,  4,  5;  not  a  motive,  9. 
VOLITIONAL,  control  of  thought,  226 ;  effort,  expectancy  on,  109, 

130 ;  impulse,  want  of,  48 ;  moods,  76-82 ;  92-94. 
VOLITIONS,  and  freedom,  12 ;  volcanic,  52 ;  weak,  resolute,  strong, 

46 ;  weakness  of,  cure,  50. 
VOLUNTAKY  attention,  comes  in  beats,  106. 

WANDERING  mind,  regimes  for,  287-289. 

WANT  of  opinion,  regimes,  296,  297;  of  perseverance,  61. 

WAR,  on  child's  will,  359. 

WATERLOO,  Wellington  at,  323. 

WATCHING,  art  of,  103. 

WATCHWORD,  of  this  book,  103. 

WEAK  habit  of  thought,  253. 

WEAKNESS  in  child,  treatment  of,  360;  of  volition,  60. 

WEEDS,  in  our  nature,  Bacon  on,  261. 

WILL,  will  to  be,  184. 

"WE  Live  by  Sacrifice  Alone,"  verses  by  author,  260. 

WEIGHING  motives,  quotation,  90. 


386  Index. 

WBSSBLENYI,  his  courage,  314. 

"W«AT  Seest  Thou?"  Terse*  by  author,  104. 

WHAT  to  look  for,  130- 

WHITE,  on  best  and  poor  English,  284. 

"WHO  Hath  Wisdom?"  verses  by  author,  152. 

"WHO  Reads?"  verses  by  author,  204. 

WHOLENESS,  commands  body  and  mind,  181. 

WILL,  acts  of,  described,  16;  analysis  of,  6-10;  and  attention,  19; 
author's  theory  of,  8;  basic  principles  of  culture,  83,  and 
body,  16;  Blondin's,  5;  and  blood  supply,  184;  and  bondage, 
10, 11 ;  cannot  transcend  itself,  12 ;  capacity  for  volitional  act, 
6;  causes  of  diseased,  44;  (see  child  and  child's)  and  charac- 
ter, 66;  classes  of  diseased,  44,  45;  controlling  attention, 
213;  controlling  hearing,  124;  and  control  of  muscles,  179; 
cultivation,  price  of,  83,  105;  culture,  and  perception,  102, 
culture,  by  exercise,  60;  decisive,  16,  31;  defined,  3,  4,  29, 
347;  deliberative,  16;  description  of  diseased,  55;  how  devel- 
oped, 60-67;  diseased,  43,  297;  dormant,  58;  and  drudgery, 
37,  38;  dynamic,  5,  15;  Emerson  on,  13,  85;  essential  achieve- 
ment of,  197;  examples  of  great,  13,  26,  47,  66;  and  experi- 
ience,  25 ;  explosive,  16,  30,  52,  53;  and  eye,  111 ;  must  be  fed, 
278;  fickleness  of,  51;  forcing  moods  of,  22;  forms  of,  30; 
freedom  of,  7,  9,  11,  12;  general  functions  of,  16;  and  general 
tone,  46;  grades  of,  47,  48;  graded  by  moods,  76;  Grant's,  33; 
and  grip-power,  101 ;  growth,  first  requisites  of,  103;  growth, 
two-fold  process  in,  61;  and  habits,  61;  habit  and  exercise, 
103;  hair-trigger,  250;  headstrong,  54;  healthy,  250;  and 
hearing,  131;  high-priest,  16,  26,  27;  highest  type  of,  13,  47; 
and  hypnotism,  323 ;  illustrations  of,  5,  13;  and  illy-developed 
mind,  45;  and  imagination,  23 ;  impelling,  16,  31 ;  importance 
of  health  to,  184;  same,  of  education  of,  58;  indefatigable,  29; 
inhibition  of,  18;  and  insanity,  44;  intensity  of,  17,  18;  iron, 
67;  and  judgment,  247;  kinds  of,  15;  and  law,  12;  Ledyard's, 
66;  like  gun-cap  battery,  258;  like  steam,  30;  lord  of  mind, 
16,  19-26;  in  lower  life,  3;  is  the  man,  13,  14;  master  of  body, 
16-19;  and  memory,  22;  and  mental  improvement,  61;  and 
mental  vision,  24 ;  and  mental  stimuli,  1 13 ;  and  mood  of  in- 
terest, 76,  77;  and  moods,  22,  75;  moods  of,  76-83;  and  right 
moods,  82;  and  moral  life,  63,  84;  nature  of,  29;  neglected, 
25,  26,  58;  and  nervous  troubles,  164,  165;  and  olfactory 
nenres,  144;  and  opportunity,  41;  paradox  of,  7;  originate 


Index.  387 

no  mental  action,  61,  62;  paralysis  of,  45;  and  patience,  38; 
perfect,  and  moods,  82;  and  persistence,  16;  ia  persistence,  T; 
persistent,  30;  and  physical  conditions,  184;  power  of,  an- 
alyzed, 6-10;  is  real,  3;  rests  never,  363;  restraining,  the,  16, 
31;  relation  of  exercise  to,  101-103;  right,  law  of,  67;  and 
righteousness,  35,  64,  66;  seat  of,  15;  secret  of,  226;  self- 
caused,  12;  and  skill,  20;  the  self-mastered,  29;  and  sense*, 
18,  19,  20;  not  a  separate  faculty,  4;  and  states  of  person,  16; 
static,  5,  15,  30;  and  steadiness,  175;  stored  will-power,  5,  16; 
strong,  39,  213;  symmetry  of,  358;  systematic  exercise  of,  60; 
and  thinking,  21,  216;  and  touch,  151;  tonic  of,  31;  training, 
of,  19,  23,  25,  57-67;  same,  indirect  results  of,  59,  348; 
under  law,  12;  and  unconscious  action,  4 ;  varieties  of  good, 
47;  Coleridge's  want  of,  50;  lack  of  vision,  113;  what  it  does 
not,  10;  and  worry,  271. 

WILL-CULTURE,  child's,  concentration  on,  351;  first  process  in, 
333-347;  fifth  process  in,  358-363 ;  fourth  process  in,  356-358; 
fundamental  processes  in,  332-363;  and  reason,  333;  regimes 
for,  348-355 ;  basal  requirements  of,  330 ;  second  process  in, 
347-353;  third  process  in,  353-356. 

WILLIAM  of  Orange,  Motley  on,  41;  and  Philip  II,  322, 

WILLIAM  111,  Matthews  on,  39. 

WILSON,  on  powers  of  the  eye,  111. 

WIRT,  on  hesitation  of  mind,  69. 

WITCHCRAFT,  223. 

WORDS,  first  used,  307;  mental  plow  of,  308;  thinking  in,  305. 

WORK,  dress  and,  189;  injurious  haste  in,  173;  Byron's  method  of, 
237;  Haydn's,  189;  Schopenhauer's,  238;  Trollope's,  22. 

WORKING  up,  illustrations,  310;  oneself,  22. 

WORRY,  Jacoby  on,  270,  271. 

ZWAAKDEMAKEH,  Oil  KIIK'lls,   143. 


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